The Emerald Price
by Ash Darklighter
Summary: On a trip to the Outer Rim on business for Karrde, Mara disappears. Luke, accompanied by Han sets off to find her, knowing that he will be returning her to the man she loves - Lando Calrissian.
1. Default Chapter

**The Emerald Price**

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**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer: - The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list.**

**Two Weeks Previously**

Bright green eyes bored into his face drilling right through him with the intensity of her gaze. He knew they were trying to tell him something – but what? There was only one woman he knew with eyes of that vibrant shade – that clear, true colour. Only one woman in the entire galaxy.

_"Luke!"_

Her voice was loud inside his head, so loud that she could have been standing next to him – calling to him.

_"Luke! Help me!"_

And then there was nothing – only an ominous, deafening silence, the sheer abruptness of it shocking.

"Mara!" Luke jerked into wakefulness and an upright position at the same time, the covers falling to his waist leaving his sweat-soaked torso bare. "Mara," he whispered, pushing his damp, tangled hair away from his face with shaking fingers. "What has happened to you?" 

Slowly the space he was starring out into, wistfully hoping for an answer, began to seep its familiarity and emptiness into his consciousness. Until with a breath Luke closed his eyes and bowed his head. It was just a dream. At least that's what he tried to tell himself. But he knew from experience that he rarely had ordinary, normal dreams like other beings. His dreams usually had some sort of portent for the future – not always good either.

Luke swung his bare legs over the side of the bed until his bare feet touched the floor. Propelling himself upright he straightened his quilt before staring out into the night. He could see the lights of Coruscant glittering from the large viewport in his bedchamber. What was happening? He walked to the window and stared out. His apartment inhabited one of the tallest buildings in the city – the panoramic view was breathtaking but Luke couldn't appreciate that view right now, so preoccupied with his dream was he. Force, he was deathly tired. The last few missions he'd undertaken for the New Republic with scarcely a break in between had been ruthlessly demanding. Even Leia, glad that he was back helping the New Republic on a regular basis, was wondering if he was trying to kill himself through overwork. Luke placed his head against the cool transparisteel and sighed.

_Mara_

Luke turned away from the viewport and shrugged his naked body into a black towelling robe. With a wave of his hand, the lights came on at a dim setting until his eyes got used to them. He made his way through the bare apartment to the communications centre and tried to get a lock on Mara's whereabouts. 

Nothing.

When that didn't work he tried to reach out to her through the Force. He couldn't seem to sense her, unable to tell if she were well. It was unnerving, but he felt something was definitely amiss. She had been calling him, there was no doubt. Now his fears began to twist inside his belly. It always came down to Mara Jade and the effect she had on his life. If she wasn't well, she was in trouble and if that was the case, he was the one that could help her. That's all she would take from him – his assistance. He'd better contact Karrde.

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**Coruscant Spaceport – The Present__**

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Darkness had fallen quickly, still the spaceport was busy. There was almost no difference between day and night as far as traffic on Coruscant was concerned but docking bay 30456B was quiet. The beings housed on the CEC Action VI transport – the _Wild Karrde - _had long retired for the night, tuning out the sound of constantly arriving and departing spacecraft until it resembled nothing more than a dull roar. All of them were asleep, apart from a necessary security detail and the captain who remained very much awake. He was worried – very worried.

Talon Karrde sat sleepless for the fifth night in a row in his office in front of his com screen. He'd barely moved from the ship in over a week. On the surface everything appeared to be fine with his life and his business. The port officials had all been bribed not to look too closely at the ship's weaponry and the customs officials had come and gone without finding the hidden contraband he was carrying in shielded compartments. Everything was normal unless you counted the fact that his trusted second-in-command had set off on a mission three weeks ago and hadn't been heard from since.

The crew didn't think anything unusual about Mara Jade's disappearance and Karrde had not bothered to enlighten them. He didn't want to worry them too. She did very much what she wanted and often was away from the main group for weeks on end but, somehow, this was different. There had been no distress call, nothing to indicate that she could be in trouble – just silence. She had her own mode of transport and her own way of operating even though she was working for him. This trip was on organisation business… almost.

He had made the first com-call to Jedi Master Luke Skywalker nearly two weeks ago which had occasioned an immediate reaction from the Jedi Master but since then he'd heard nothing. The fact that Skywalker had also been concerned didn't bode well in Karrde's opinion. He had also tried to contact Lando Calrissian without success since Mara had disappeared. To his annoyance and frustration, the man had been out of reach – a bad move for any businessman Karrde had decided. His information network had finally located the suave, dark-skinned gambler on the planet Systra. The gambler was in top-secret negotiations with the owner of a chain of casinos. Lando was planning a major expansion of his business empire.

Karrde decided that it was time to acquaint Calrissian with his feelings about facing the situation before the media were alerted to the fact that Mara had gone on this trip alone and had not returned to spend time with her alleged current lover. 

The holopress had taken an almost unhealthy interest in Mara's activities of late. Ever since she'd been seen regularly with Lando Calrissian, hero of the Rebellion, they had followed her every move. Mara had been linked with him romantically much to their delight but only Mara, Lando and Karrde knew that it was a cover for a fact finding mission on Karrde's behalf. 

The holo-reporters had seized on the idea of a love affair between Jade and Calrissian with an almost animalistic fervour. There was no war, no crisis of government, no health scares, no uprising by the remnants of the defeated Empire… not yet there wasn't. Karrde would know as soon as any one of the jumped up little Mofflings and their pet warlords got ideas too far above their abilities. There was nothing going on in the galaxy to take the media's interest away from the little set-up he'd engineered. He knew that it couldn't last much longer. Mara had just about had as much of Calrissian as she could stomach. There had been a murderous glint in her green eyes and several muttered comments about how a well-placed slash of a vibro-shiv might end the Baron's life and give her some peace. So instead of travelling with Calrissian she had chosen to go alone.

Karrde smoothed his hand over his well-trimmed goatee. His trading organisation didn't need the kind of publicity that Mara's disappearance, without Calrissian following her, would bring – even the legitimate part of it. They'd been almost inseparable for weeks. Too much publicity alienated his best and most exclusive clients and he did not want to risk the guaranteed credits any longer. Mara had been right – it wasn't his best idea and it should be over.

Karrde stared at the old-fashioned, wind-up chrono on his desk. Time was passing and Mara had still not contacted him. The feeling in his gut told him that he couldn't wait any longer before heading out after his second-in-command. Maybe he'd acted too quickly in the first instance when he'd contacted Luke Skywalker but he'd felt uneasy about Mara's trip and her failure to keep in regular contact. Now, perhaps, he was too late. He reached out an elegant hand and pressed the buttons that would make that com-call.

"Lando." He greeted the dark-skinned man on the other end of the viewscreen with cool politeness.

"Hey, Karrde!" Lando's loudly exuberant voice echoed around the office as his image shimmered into view. As always, Lando Calrissian was dressed immaculately, not a gleaming black hair out of place. "Business is good, I take it?" 

Karrde gave him a restrained nod. "Business is what it always is," he replied carefully.

Lando chuckled. "Then it is good," he murmured thoughtfully. "But something's wrong." Lando stared at Karrde for a moment, not saying anything as his expression changed. The twinkle in his eyes sharpened to curiosity. "How did you know where I was?"

"I have my sources, which I will not divulge, but it still took me several days to find you."

"What is it?" Lando gave the impression that he was shallow – an impression that had fooled people many times over the years. Lando Calrission's intelligence gleamed from his dark eyes if one cared to look behind the charming facile facade. He had been fooling lesser beings in this manner for many years. He considered that it gave him an advantage. "Something's wrong," he repeated. "Han and Leia… The Empire?"

"No, not yet. It's Mara," Karrde said succinctly. "She's missing. Let's hope the days I wasted trying to find you are not costing Mara dear."

"How could that be?" Lando tried to gauge the lack of expression on Karrde's face; never an easy task at the best of times but his opening words had been distinctly lacking in warmth. "How long has she been missing?"

"I haven't heard from her in over two weeks."

Lando relaxed. "Is that all? Mara's been away for far longer than that without you worrying about her. She'll have forgotten to call in. Mara can take care of herself," he dismissed Karrde's worry, conveniently forgetting that Karrde never worried without good reason.

Karrde's pale blue eyes flashed warningly. "Mara does not forget, Calrissian. She may be used to working alone but she never neglects to inform me of her whereabouts especially in potentially dangerous situations."

"Where was she headed?"

"You know damn fine where she was headed."

Lando bristled. "I have no idea where she's gone. How could I? I don't keep notes on your order book and your clients."

"She was heading for the sector nearest to the Kathol Rift. You were supposed to be with her. You _said_ you would go with her."

"Oh, she's already left on _that trip." Lando shrugged. "Something came up and I had to drop out. It was business, Karrde. You understand business more than anyone else I know. How else would you be so successful? Mara didn't seem to mind going alone. She's a professional and understands the way a successful business works."_

"Of course she's a professional. Mara does not take unnecessary risks. It's kept her alive and in a job so far. But business is not what this is about. I told you that I have been trying to contact you for days," Karrde continued with a cold stare. "That's hardly good business to be out of contact for so long."

"My negotiations were… delicate. I couldn't be distracted," Lando excused.

"If you had been with her then…"

"We both might be missing," Lando interrupted. "I told you, the Casino is just taking off and I couldn't leave Systra just now – not with such an opportunity to extend my holdings. It's my livelihood Karrde, you understand. Mara said she could manage without me – she understood."

"Is that all she said?" Karrde's voice was suspicious. 

"Yes." 

The guilty look quickly masked on Lando's face made Karrde grit his teeth. Lando was an accomplished con-artist but he didn't fool Karrde in the least. "You didn't think that accompanying her would keep up that little fiction you have concerning the relationship between the pair of you?" Karrde shuffled a stack on data cards on his desk. "I suppose there is no real need for you to keep that little story going now. It has served its purpose. I can't see us finding out anything else useful for the moment. Still, when it gets out to the media that you are on Systra and Mara has gone…" Karrde slammed the data cards back on to the smooth wooden surface. "They'll have a field day. My organisation doesn't need or want that kind of publicity. You were supposed to go on this trip together and end the 'affaire' there."

"I think Mara and I could be good together. Let's not be hasty, Karrde. Mara's beginning to warm to me. I can see the look in her eye. I've seen it often enough in other women." 

Karrde shook his head in weary disbelief, his face seeming to age, and Lando scowled looking like a small boy thwarted of his favourite toy. 

"I don't want to end it."

"Maybe not. But your constant harassment of Mara means that she does want to end it – she told me this herself and I asked her just to wait a little longer." He gave a sigh of frustration. "This is far too sudden. The holopress are still too interested in what you and Mara are up to and if she is in trouble – it could affect her safety. I'm not often mistaken about things but I was wrong about this. We should never have started it in the first place. You wanted Mara as a conquest and she doesn't take kindly to that kind of pressure." 

Lando's charming veneer slipped. "I was persistent. I wasn't pressuring her."

"Weren't you?"

Lando's mouth twisted. "She said she didn't want me within ten parsecs of her or her ship," he admitted finally and then grinned. "She loves me really. If I keep up this arrangement Mara will come around to see that she cannot live without me. I think I've made some headway."

"You tried to proposition her, didn't you?" Karrde's voice was drier than the Dune Sea.

"I never laid a finger on her."

"I know."

"You do?"

"Hold up your hands."

Mystified, Lando did so.

Karrde gave a mirthless chuckle. "It's easy. You still have all of your fingers."

Snatching his hands away from the viewer, Lando's mouth tightened as he replied, "One of these days she'll say 'yes.' She just enjoys the thrill of the chase. I know she likes me. She's just playing hard to get."

"Mara plays hard - I guarantee you that one," Karrde admitted coldly. "But she doesn't play hard to get. If she wants you, she'll get you. Therefore, she doesn't want you. Face it, Lando."

"She doesn't want you either," Lando sniped back, beginning to feel out of his depth. Karrde was far too shrewd to fool.

The smuggler chief laughed with the first sign of genuine amusement he'd shown since he'd faced Calrissian. "Of course not. We do not have that kind of relationship, nor are we pretending to have that kind of relationship. I am her boss. Such liaisons are usually destructive to the people and the organisation involved. Hence my 'no involvement with a member of my organisation' clause."

"So cool, Karrde," Lando observed bitterly. "She's a beautiful and passionate woman. Are you made of stone?"

"One has to be calm in my position," Karrde returned evenly, biting back the retort he wanted to make. "After all, I make the decisions and they have to be the right ones. I admire and respect Mara greatly but I do not desire her body." He leant back in his chair, pressing the tips of his fingers together. "However, I am worried about her whereabouts and her safety. She may have all the skills of an Imperial assassin and a Jedi Knight rolled into one lethal package but she is not invincible and she told me that herself. She is my second-in-command and I look after my people."

"There is no one more capable of fending for herself than Mara," Lando blustered.

"I thought you might have shown some concern because of your professed 'interest' in my second-in-command. If you really love her…"

"Love?" Lando questioned. "What is love? I cannot say if I love her or not. It's a bit premature to be involving emotions don't you think?"

"To win Mara Jade, Calrissian, love is what you will need."

Lando chuckled. "I never took you for the romantic, idealistic type, Karrde. That's more Luke Skywalker's territory."

"Luke is more ruthless than you think, Calrissian. Don't take him for a fool. He's seen quite a bit of the seamier side of life and has fought hard for everything he has. Don't forget his little brush with the dark side."

"Of course I won't but he's learned his lesson as far as that is concerned. He won't take that route again."

Karrde nodded. "I believe that he won't but it has given him more depth of character."

Lando smirked. "I don't mean to malign Luke. He's a good buddy."

"I'm being pragmatic," Karrde continued. "Mara is not an easy conquest as I'm sure you've already found out."

Lando's grin faded and his face settled into lines of discontent. "Yeah!" Although they had played at being lovers in the public eye, when alone, Mara had treated him with outright disdain. It had rankled.__

It had been a joint decision to try and locate Karrde's former boss, Jorj Car'das and Mara had agreed to pretend to be involved with Calrissian to do so. They had acquired shares in a mine together and the relationship was a good smokescreen for ferreting out information on the whereabouts of Karrde's long disappeared associate. Karrde suspected that Car'das was still alive somewhere and had valuable information - that had been the man's passion. More than anything, Jorj Car'das had desired to acquire information. Car'das would know what the Empire was up to Karrde was certain that they were up to something. Bastion had been far too quiet recently and that always spelled trouble.

Lando wanted Mara Jade in his bed – he wanted the fabricated relationship to be real. He couldn't resist the lure of a beautiful woman. However Mara did _not_ want Lando. She'd seen through him a long time ago.

But she had reluctantly accepted the charade and had played it most convincingly until now. There was no need for the deception to continue and Mara would not continue making up to Calrissian forever. Karrde suspected that Mara would rather sleep with Luke Skywalker, and that was saying something, before she would let Calrissian touch her again. The Jedi Master had never appeared to be one of her favourite people and she treated him with a peculiar mixture of hostility, indifference and warmth. Ah, yes, Karrde thought. Luke Skywalker. Where did he fit into the mix? What was he to Mara and she to him? There was something powerful between them which could not be easily explained away. But he still suspected she would rather sleep with the Jedi than Lando and wasn't sure if that was as a last resort or because it wasn't.

"All I'm saying, Calrissian, is that you need to be aware of what's happening. The media are still very interested in you and Mara."

Lando gave a heavy sigh, grudgingly admitting to himself that if Karrde was worried, then Mara was probably in some sort of trouble. He could save her and then she'd regard him as a hero and be properly grateful. "Okay, Karrde. Give me a day or two to clear my schedules and then…"

Karrde waved a hand cutting him off. "No, there's no need..."

"You're just going to leave her?" There must be something he'd missed. Karrde's face had suddenly appeared almost smug as if something Lando had said had proved him right.

"No, not if I can help it. I do have contingency plans. I contacted Luke Skywalker well over a week ago. He happened, most fortuitously, to be on Coruscant." 

"You contacted Luke _before_ you contacted me?" Lando frowned.

Karrde nodded. "You were unavailable until two days ago. I tried to get hold of you…" The smuggler sighed. He hadn't tried very hard. "Fortuitously Luke was on Coruscant and because he has the Force he has ways of locating Mara that you and I do not. Yes, I contacted him."

"He's there on Coruscant more often than he is on Yavin these days," Lando commented. "Seems that the galaxy doesn't want him to save it as much as it once did. Plus the Yavin Academy doesn't hold his attention like it used to."

"There are still trouble spots around the galaxy and the Empire has been a little too quiet for a little too long in my opinion. They're up to something and Luke wants to be ready. Besides, the Yavin Academy is fully operational and Luke never really wanted to teach full time. It was something he had to do until more knights were trained to take his place. He is now free to look at the wider picture in the galaxy."

"And that means Coruscant?"

The smuggler chief bent over his desk and stared into the monitor. "For the moment… Yes."

Karrde couldn't get the difference in their reactions between Lando and the Jedi Master out of his mind. Skywalker had appeared stunned for a moment, his face whitening. The Jedi had quickly masked his feelings, hiding his emotions behind an impassive expression, but Karrde knew that Luke Skywalker would go and search for her. He was the one person Karrde could trust to do so.

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_"You're at the Spaceport? Expect me in about an hour. I'm on my way," was all that Luke had said before the screen went blank. _

Luke had arrived at the _Wild Karrde_ a little over an hour later and Karrde knew that the blond-haired Jedi was worried.

"Where was she headed?" Luke asked. "Is she in trouble?"

"I don't know." Karrde's voice was grim.

The memory of Mara's voice calling for him resurfaced in Luke's mind. "She's in trouble," he gritted between closed teeth. He stared into Karrde's pale eyes willing him to understand. "I heard her call for me. I knew she was in trouble." Luke lifted his hands and gazed at them as if he were examining a foreign object under a microscope. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"You and me both." Karrde checked his data. "She and Lando were…"

"Lando? Lando is with her?" Luke's voice held a strangely hollow ring to it. "They're both in trouble?"

Karrde shook his head. "No. Mara went alone. He was supposed to be with her but he didn't go. Something else came up."

"Don't tell me," Luke said flatly. "It was casino business."

"How did you…?"

"I know Lando." 

"Yes, it was casino business. He and Mara had some sort of…"

"Altercation?" Luke enquired dryly with a raised eyebrow.

"You could put it that way." Karrde's voice was equally dry. "He should not have let her go alone."

Luke's mouth formed a flat, tight line of disapproval. "No, he should not. But you and I both know Mara Jade too well. If she made up her mind to go alone then she will have done exactly that regardless of how Lando felt." 

"I suspect that Lando wasn't given any choice in the matter," Karrde murmured.

For a fleeting moment a ghost of a smile hovered on Luke's lips. "Ah," he said. "There isn't a word to describe how stubborn she is. Stubborn just doesn't even come near it."

Karrde had to agree. Mara did what she wanted to with a dewback-like obstinacy. Luke knew her well and in Karrde's view was the only person who could match her – the only person she would listen to.

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"So Luke has gone after her?" Lando asked carefully. 

"Yes."

"Great!" Lando said, relief colouring his voice as he leaned back in a dark, nerf-leather chair. He had time to finish his business and dally a little longer with the fascinating lady he'd picked up. Karrde's information broker couldn't know that his business with the casino involved delicate negotiations with the soon-to-be former owner – a most attractive and wealthy widow. Unlike a certain red-head of his acquaintance, this female was quite happy to share his bed. "Luke will find her but if he needs my help, just let me know. I'll try and clear my schedule - just in case."

"Good." Karrde's voice was sardonic. Lando had no intention of clearing anything. "I'm heading out to the Rimma trade route myself to wait for Skywalker or Mara to contact me. I've business out that way in any case. Mara was heading for the Kathol Rift. That's a long way out on the Rim and Luke was available immediately. He left ten days ago."

"Sure. Look, Karrde…" Lando peered over his shoulder as if staring at someone behind him. "I have to go… An important meeting. Contact me as soon as Mara turns up."

"Oh, don't worry," Karrde said grimly. "I will."

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**Westport****, Coruscant**

As he prepped his ship for takeoff, Luke Skywalker wondered at the strange behaviour of the supposedly devoted couple. Why Lando Calrissian could bear to be apart from someone like Mara Jade for any length of time when he could be with her puzzled him. If Luke had been in the market for a relationship, someone like Mara would be his ideal. She was beautiful, fiery, had wit _and_ intelligence. She wasn't afraid of danger or overawed by his status as the head of the New Jedi Order. But Luke wasn't in the market for a relationship now or ever even as if Mara would glance in his direction – not that she would. She hardly seemed aware of him in that way. Although, over the years perhaps he had glanced once, maybe twice across some makeshift camp at her. When his relationships inevitably failed he hurt too much and he was too tired of the repeated pain and heartbreak that followed each disastrous affair. No, he was far better alone.

It had been instinctive to offer to go and find Mara. When Karrde had told him she was missing, he was conscious of the leaden weight of dread settling in the pit of his stomach. He had known something was wrong. And then there were his dreams. They usually had some basis in fact, no matter how much motion affected the future. She couldn't go missing – nothing could happen to _her_. All the usual guilty feelings about endangering the life of someone he… Luke's mind shied away from even thinking any more along those lines. She was his friend and he was damned if she would come to some grief while he had breath left in his body. He would do the same for any of his friends, he fervently assured himself. 

All Karrde could tell him was that she had been headed for the Elrood sector towards the Kathol Rift. That was a long way out on the Rim. It would take him a couple of weeks to even get near it. That could be a couple of weeks too late and Mara was depending on him. He needed a faster ship than the one he was currently prepping. An idea quickly took shape. Perhaps there was one ship available to him – one far more suitable to his needs. He could ask.

Taking a deep breath Luke flicked open his comlink and prepared for an argument or at least some sort of questioning. "Han?"

"Hey, Kid!" Han's cheerful voice sounded loud and clear. "Where are you? Leia expected you for dinner half an hour ago."

"Sithspit!" Luke swore.

"Don't tell me you forgot?"

"I forgot," Luke said heavily.

"Your sister was getting worried," Han murmured. "You know how she fusses if you don't appear on time. She thinks you'll rush off on some 'damn fool crusade' without informing her. I'll tell her you're on your way now, okay?"

"Something came up," Luke hedged carefully and wasn't surprised when his brother-in-law picked up on his unease.

"Something came up," Han repeated slowly, his voice sounding tinny through the comlink.

"Yeah," Luke admitted. "I'm going to have to leave Coruscant immediately."

"Immediately."

"Yes, Han, immediately."

"Want to tell me what, or perhaps I should ask who, has you jumping into a ship without informing your family, who were expecting you round for dinner? And what was I just saying about some 'damn fool crusade'? It wouldn't happen to be something like that?"

For the umpteenth time in their relationship, Luke wondered if Han was gifted with the Force or just plain good at reading Luke's too transparent mind. "I need to borrow the _Falcon_."

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Mara Jade and Lando Calrissian's affair had been filling the holonet for weeks now. Image after image of their smiling faces attending a gala event together somewhere in the galaxy had been on every vidscreen and holo-monitor in all the places he went. To Luke it had seemed unreal somehow but he hadn't been in their combined presences for more than five minutes. The whole relationship made him feel ill at ease. In fact, the thought of Mara kissing Lando made Luke downright uncomfortable. However, it was none of his business how Mara and Lando spent their down time. He would never admit it openly because he considered Lando to be a friend but Luke just didn't think the former administrator of Cloud City was right for her.

Luke hadn't talked to her properly in months. She had been aloof lately and just when they had begun to lapse into a comfortable friendship something had changed 

_Lando._

When he had voiced his surprise about her seeing so much of the entrepreneur, Mara had retreated from his company. He had not been her favourite person again for some reason only Mara Jade knew about. Perhaps she really liked Lando and Luke had hurt her in some way by his doubt and surprise. Still, Luke was tired of being her whipping post, the continual target of her barbed comments, and had reacted by removing himself from her admittedly dazzling orbit whenever she and Lando appeared. His prolonged absence only seemed to make the verbal darts she aimed in his direction when they did meet far more stinging. He was as much a victim of her beauty as the next man but recently she had always been accompanied by a smugly grinning Lando. All that happiness was enough to make anyone turn to the dark side. But now she was in trouble and he owed it to her to get her out of it. When the credits were down Lando was nowhere to be seen and Mara was on her own.

Luke had the feeling, and he had learned never to ignore the strange prescience that he gained through his ability in the Force, that Mara was in real danger. The knot that had formed in his stomach as soon as he'd seen Karrde's face on the monitor, tightened. He'd known as soon as Karrde had contacted him. There was no other reason for Talon to contact Luke. Mara _was in trouble._

What was so important to Lando about a mere casino when the woman he supposedly loved was in danger? Luke couldn't understand the man at all and he considered him to be a friend. But then, Luke Skywalker had never been influenced by power or money. In that respect he and Lando were worlds apart.

"Luke!"

The Jedi strode swiftly down the ramp of the Academy shuttle he'd been preparing for take off. "I'm here, Leia."

"What's wrong?" Leia rushed towards him. "Why did you forget about dinner? Why are you leaving now and where are you going?"

"So many questions," Luke joked quietly but his humour was forced. 

"Answer them and I'll maybe ignore that you asked for _my ship," Han interjected, as he leisurely strolled up behind his wife._

Luke stared at the _Millennium Falcon_ sitting next to the Yavin shuttle. There was no comparison. Han's ship still exuded excitement and adventure for the young Jedi Master. That, and a whole pile of bittersweet memories. Travelling in that ship had been part of his transition from boy to man. "I need a fast ship and this hunk-of-junk is one of the fastest."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, she may not look like much but she does still have it where it counts," Han said with pride.

"And that's why I need to borrow her."

"You still haven't told me why. Tell me and I might even lend it to you."

"Mara's missing." Luke declared impassively. "I need to…"

"Mara…" Han's face changed as everything began to fall into place. "Ah, Mara!" he drawled. "What kind of trouble is she in?"

"I don't know yet."

"Karrde or Lando can go and find her. Why does it have to be you?" Leia interrupted. 

"Why not? She's my friend and we're both Jedi. I'm the best shot at finding her. You know that, Leia."

"Where's Karrde?"

"He's getting ready to head out in the same direction I am for the exact same reason. Karrde looks after his people, Han. You know that and Mara _is_ his second-in-command. Lando…" Luke broke off his comment and scowled.

"Lando is too busy to help find his girlfriend?" Han asked.

Luke nodded. "Yeah!"

Leia shook her head. "Lando always did think of number one first and foremost."

"Apart from when he helped rescue you, Han," Luke spoke in Lando's defence. He had to be fair.

"I'm not so sure," her husband said. "Lando had tried the Empire and that didn't work too well for him so he thought he would give the Rebellion a chance instead. He always was the gambler. This time his gamble paid off. Plus he reckoned that time that he owed me. I'm not saying he isn't a good friend and he _is_ courageous. Leia's right though. He does think about number one first."

"Well, will you lend me the _Falcon or won't you?" Luke was getting anxious. He had already delayed his departure by at least an hour. "I have a long way to go and if I have to use a slower ship, I will have to leave now to have any chance of finding Mara in time."_

"You don't know that, Luke," Leia protested. 

"I do," her brother maintained stoutly.

"Mara's resourceful and can take care of herself," Leia argued. "She'll be fine."

"I heard her call for me through the Force." Luke was resolute. Mara needed him. "I've got a…"

"Don't tell me – I can guess. '_A bad feeling about it.'" Han looked at his wife's face. She gave a minute nod. He'd actually made his decision, with Leia's blessing, as soon as the kid had asked. "You can have the ship, Junior, but just to make sure I get her back in one piece," he gave the familiar lop-sided grin, "I'm coming with you."_

******************************************

**_The Millennium Falcon_**

****

"Where are we headed?" Han asked flicking an array of switches purposefully. The _Falcon _shuddered. "Come on, old girl. Don't let me down. He wants a fast ship."

Luke raised an eyebrow at the familiar cajoling of Han's beloved ship. "We're taking the Hydian way until the nexus with the Rimma Trade Route. Then we head for the Elrood Sector and the Kathol Rift."

Han whistled. "That's a long way, kid."

"I know. That's why I need a fast ship. It _is a long way."_

"We've been there before. No trouble…" Han hesitated. "At least I think there was no trouble. Chewie would remember better than me. It was before I hooked up with you and Leia."

"You've _been_ there? I'm surprised about the 'no trouble' part."

"Watch it, Junior. I can switch off the engines and return to my wife and children. This ship might need an immediate an extensive overhaul."

"What, again?"

"You are so amusing, kid. It's a pretty wild place. You better be careful once we get there…"

"And Tatooine was law-abiding?" Luke enquired. "I think I can manage."

Han slapped at a panel above the cockpit door and there was a rumble from the sublight engines. "Come on, baby, that's not good enough."

A youthful smile broke through on Luke's normally grave countenance. "Force, Han! That's sounds like something out of the old days."

Han turned a disgruntled face on the compact yet powerful figure of his companion. "Yeah! It does, doesn't it? Some things never change." He aimed a kick at the bulkhead and then beamed his familiar quirky-grin as the ship roared to life.

Luke chuckled.

Tiny lines around his eyes crinkled as Han smiled. "Just for a moment there, kid, you looked as wet-behind-the-ears as you did when I met you. It's good to see you smile, Luke. You don't do it enough these days."

"I do," Luke protested and then gave a rueful grin. "Maybe I don't. I can't say I've had much to smile about recently. I don't see my family and friends as much as I'd like."

"That's in your own hands, Luke."

"I know. Time just seems to slip away."

"Strap yourself in, kid. If Mara is in trouble then time is against us." 

Luke sat in the co-pilot's seat and fixed his gaze on the controls. He could see the route they needed to take way stretching out across the stars in his mind.

Han brought the engine fully to life, requested clearance from the spaceport authorities and then they were away.

***************************************************

The star lines merged as the _Falcon entered hyperspace. Luke studied the navicomp from the console in the crew quarters and made a couple of adjustments to the chosen route. They wouldn't emerge from hyperspace for another three days. Then a couple more short jumps and Luke gauged they could save quite a bit of time – several days if he'd got his calculations correct._

Han entered from the cockpit. "That's us until the next hyperspace jump," he muttered. "I hope you're not going to land us in the middle of a star or even worse down a black hole. I always get the shudders when I pass near the maw."

"Trust me," Luke replied absently, his brow furrowed.

"That's my line," Han complained.

Luke glanced at his friend and grinned. "So it is. Honest, Han, this will shave a few days off our journey."

"I'll believe you when I know that I'm not scooping my insides out from where you landed us by mistake." Han poked ineffectually at a piece of yellow wiring sticking from the bulkhead and winced as it fizzled and sparked. "Aw…" His mouth closed over the swear word he'd intended to say. He pulled a tool from his pocket and began to attempt a repair. The lights in the cockpit flickered briefly.

"It'll be all right," Luke soothed calmly.

"That's my line, too."

Luke moved to the crew area and sat behind the old hologame table. He cast a wary blue eye at his brother-in-law. "What persuaded Leia to let you let me borrow your ship?"

"_Let you let_ _me…" Han paused in the doorway waving a macrofuser thinking about Luke's confusing question. "__Let me tell you this, kid. Leia doesn't __let _me_ do anything."_

Luke grinned. "I'd heard that. Easy to say when she's light years away."

Han scowled. "That blaster helmet with the shield over your face is looking real good at this moment. I don't need a smart-mouthed Jedi Master. I can do what I want. This is my ship."

"Han!"

The Corellian capitulated. "Oh, alright. The reason Leia let me go… was _you_."

"Me!"

"Yeah, you." Han turned and pulled a panel from the bulkhead. There was a pop and more sizzling sparks burning white hot and then fading away to a soft grey puff of smoke. "She was worried about you." Han glared at the mess he'd made.

"I hope that's not important."

"Nah! But don't be surprised if the sonic shower doesn't work."

"Didn't work the last time I was in this crate."

"I fixed it." 

"Oh!" Luke stared down at the old holographic games table. "Leia made you come…"

"To keep an eye on you."

"Doesn't she trust me?"

"Well…" Han pulled a face. "She trusts you… to get into trouble."

"I like that. I don't need looking after."

"Leia thinks you do. I'm backup and rescue combined."

"The backup is great. I appreciate your company because you can sometimes be entertaining." Luke's face twisted into a scowl. "But I don't need rescuing."

"Sure you do. Who pulled your Jedi butt out of trouble the last time?"

Luke's brow furrowed even more as he tried to recall that occurrence. "Mara did," he pronounced.

"Eh! Are you certain?" Han asked.

Luke nodded. "Yeah, it was Mara."

"Well, the time before that."

"Mara again," Luke said, the worry evident on his face.

"I'm sure I rescued you in there somewhere, kid," Han muttered.

"You probably did." Luke's voice was weary.

"Hey, kid!"

"Yeah?"

"We'll find her."

Luke sighed. "I hope so because I…" He closed his mouth, not sure what he was going to say. Whatever it was – it was too much.

Han hoped so too. He liked Mara Jade and he gazed speculatively at his brother-in-law. He wasn't certain of the effect losing Mara Jade would have on Luke. Not a good one - that was definite. It was odd really. Han never really thought Mara was a good influence before, but she certainly seemed to ground Luke in a way no other person was able to.  

Yeah, he hoped they could find the red-haired trader and quickly. For Luke's sake.


	2. Part 2

**The Emerald Price – Part 2**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

****

**Disclaimer: - The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list.**

**Aaris, Kathol Outback**

Mara could hear the rain trickling down the outside of the stone walls of her cell even though they were several feet thick. They also leaked – she could feel the moisture seeping through, the dampness pervading the whole atmosphere. At least the rain was warm - which was more than could be said for Mara. She shivered weakly. They were all sick. The virus had gone rapidly through all the captives waiting to be sold as slaves and, weakened by beatings and poor diet, they all succumbed to its virulent attraction. She'd tried to be strong and had attempted escape on a number of occasions. But there were too many guards and she hadn't been patient. Skywalker would have words to say to her about this. 

_Skywalker! _

She seemed to see Luke's blue eyes in front of her. _'Luke,' she thought. __'Help me.' But how could he help? He was millions of light years away and she hadn't trained as hard at her Jedi studies as she should have. She, who could once call to the Emperor from any part of the galaxy, was struggling to reach beyond this cell._

Mara tried to find a comfortable spot on the slab of duracrete she'd been chained to. There wasn't one

**********************************************

It had not been a journey Mara had particularly wanted to take, but Karrde had asked her to do this for him. In her mind, Mara knew that she had more than repaid Karrde for his trust in her. She'd saved his life the very first time they had met but, in her heart, Mara still felt indebted to the smuggler chief. He had given her a job and with that trust, the chance to regain her identity.

The fabricated romance with Lando Calrissian had been a mistake from the very beginning. Mara suspected Lando also felt that he owed Karrde something although true to his nature he had never tilted his hand as to what. Karrde had argued that it made sense for them to work together and Mara couldn't dispute that fact.

To be fair to Lando, when he wasn't trying to get her into bed, he was good company and she could see why Han Solo and Luke Skywalker counted him as a friend. If there was something missing in the partnership of Jade and Calrissian, Mara didn't want to admit it but she knew what it was nonetheless. He wasn't Skywalker. Lando didn't instinctively know what to do to compliment Mara's particular skills, though he was no slouch in a tight corner. Pure and simply he wasn't Luke. He didn't have the Force. He did have one thing in common with Skywalker. He annoyed her almost as much as the Jedi did – or so she told herself.

Left on her own with Lando as they travelled the galaxy on behalf of Karrde, the former baron of Cloud City, Bespin, began to forget the rules of their arrangement. He thought he could cross the invisible line from a pretend relationship to a real one. Mara had gritted her teeth and tried to be pleasant but she was not the type to persevere with civilities. She would never satisfy his desires and grace his bed - even out of curiosity – even if she were desperate. Being pleasant had turned to indifference, to irritation and then to out and out antagonism and yet Lando had failed to take the hint. 

The relationship had deteriorated rapidly. Acting out in public what Mara could not bear to do in private was torture. It would end soon. Only one more trip and then she would never have to be in a room alone with him again. Maybe she could regain some tolerance for his company, but she doubted it.

When Karrde had proposed this final trip Mara had almost refused. Something in her soul was uneasy about this last venture. But the misgivings were vague and she had no real reason to disagree. It was Lando who had balked this time. He said it was business but Mara suspected that he had his eye on another conquest in the wake of his recent failures. 

It didn't bother her what Lando did with his spare time as long as he left her alone. However, she surmised that Lando thought that the idea of him with another woman would make her jealous. He did not understand her at all. She could never be jealous of him. He'd hinted and suggested but she'd ignored his openings. Eventually frustrated by her inability to appreciate his obvious charms he had started drinking. This time he would not take no for an answer. This time Lando had tried a pass. Tried and failed.  Mara had grabbed the collar of his tunic and had threatened him with murder darkening her green eyes, both verbally and physically disabusing him of his right to touch her.

After that Mara had refused to let him on board her ship. She hadn't told Karrde what had happened but the smuggler chief had been greatly concerned about this development as Lando disappeared to deal with matters of business instead of matters of the heart, and Mara set off for the Outer Rim on her own.

Force, she wished that Lando was with her now.

***************************

Mara left Coruscant's Westport on a grey, strangely silent day. As she'd made her way to her ship the hawkbats were circling above her uttering plaintive sounds she could not hear.

"Reconsider, Mara," Karrde urged. "Take Lando with you."

"He's gone off somewhere on business," Mara snapped. "I'm going alone." Pride stiffened her shoulders, pushing away her misgivings.

"Or wait until Faughan returns. Just a couple of days and she'll be back from Garos. I would rather that…"

"The sooner I go, the sooner I'll return. You wanted me to go, remember?" Mara interrupted briskly. "You're not usually so nervous about me going on a mission. Remember who I used to work for?"

"Car'das is different, Mara."

"From the Emperor? I hope so."

"He's alive…"

"Definitely one up on old Palpy," Mara quipped glibly, her usually mobile face set.

"And somewhere out there… waiting."

"I'll be fine, Karrde. If he's out there I'll find him."

"Yeah! That's what I'm worried about."

"Talon… There's more to this."

The smuggler chief sighed. "Of course there is. A long time and a lot of festering history. You don't have to see Car'das or talk to him."

"Okay," she replied warily.

"Promise me, Mara. All I want to know is where he is."

Mara nodded and popped the hatch on the _Fire. "I'll be in touch."_

Karrde watched as the slim green-clad figure disappeared up the ramp and within minutes the ship rose smoothly from its docking bay and disappeared from view.

*******************************************

Two Weeks later, Mara landed at one of the smaller planets in the Minos Cluster. No information to be had there. She needed to refuel and restock so it hadn't been a problem. With warnings about pirates and slavers roaming the space lanes Mara took her leave. She'd been flying the galaxy since she was sixteen. She knew all about pirates and slavers. They'd best beware of her. She stopped on Shesharile 6, one of the two inhabited moons of the gas giant, but didn't linger. The planet was so polluted that she couldn't leave her ship without wearing a breathing mask. She would ask for information about Car'das elsewhere. She didn't realise that her questions had been noticed and her movements were under observation.

"Beautiful!"

"She would fetch a good price."

"See that she joins us."

"As you command, Master."

**********************************

Without regret Mara departed Shesharile 6 and set her navacomp for the Kathol Outback. Her pilot droid twittered in the background but Mara ignored it. Sometimes she wished her V-5 pilot had more personality…maybe more like an Artoo unit. Like Artoo Detoo – Luke's faithful droid.

Mara paused. She was at it again – thinking about Skywalker. Her forehead furrowed as she considered this surprising topic. For so many years Luke Skywalker had been an obsession. He had killed her master and would pay for his crimes. Then she'd discovered that it had all been an act of revenge and Luke had been innocent. 

The pilot droid beeped loudly.

"What?"

The droid repeated his question.

"We're not far from the planet Aaris." She shrugged her shoulders. "Set co-ordinates and head for Aaris. It's as good a place as any other. Do we have any information on it?"

The droid whistled negatively.

"I suppose no news is better than bad news." Mara grabbed a disc and slid it into a data pad. "There must be something in here… ah, there is. Not much unfortunately."

The droid twittered again.

"We are heading for the Aaris system. The third planet is inhabited - a tropical world with jungles and, rising from them, mountain ranges. There are ruins dotted about the planet which are the only remaining signs of the original civilisation." Mara threw the droid a look of disgust and then peered out at the blackness of space. "So Aaris III it is."

A couple of days later Mara landed at the spaceport on Aaris III. She surprised herself by doing a spot of trading. Karrde would be pleased. She'd been carrying that load of obsolete converters for months. It figured that they wouldn't be obsolete this far out. She'd questioned several of the beings frequenting the tapcafs nearest the spaceport, slipping Jorj Car'das' name casually into the conversation. The moment she did so, the natives clammed up and made excuses to leave.

"Never heard of him…" Mara muttered, glaring at a Rodian who was patently transparent in his efforts to get away from her. "You've certainly heard of him. He's out here somewhere and he's not far away."

The only person not to run off in fright had been a small dapper man with serious grey eyes and a ready smile. "I am Entoo Needan E-elz."

Mara blinked.

The little man grinned, showing a row of gleaming white teeth. "It is a mouthful, is it not, for so small a person?"

"You're not small," Mara returned unthinkingly. So much pert enthusiasm was strange to find in a third rate tapcaf in a fourth rate spaceport.

"Ah, but in the grand schemes of the maker's universe, I am indeed small and my name is rather long. Call me Entoo Nee."

"Okay." Mara replied warily. "Jorj Car'das?"

"You are asking if I have heard of him?"

Mara nodded. "Yes."

"I have. He guards his privacy well. Who exactly is asking for him?"

Mara kept her face expressionless. She had the feeling that she'd just struck a cache of durindfire gems. "An old acquaintance of his wants to know if he is still alive."

"I believe he is."

"But you're not certain?"

"No, I'm not certain."

"Your words are open to doubt," Mara said quietly.

The little man leaned back in his chair and assessed the woman opposite him. "You are wise beyond your years, Mistress…"

"Could you find out? I would be willing to pay for such information."

"You cannot be the old acquaintance."

"Why not?"

"You are too young. Car'das is an old man I would think. I'm sorry I cannot help you further. I have my own tasks to do and am leaving the system today. I head towards Exocron."

Mara frowned. She'd heard of Exocron and something in the Force zinged. Car'das was there. "Exocron - the planet so near to the Kathol Rift that it lies hidden in a nebula, clouded by gases. Its location makes it almost impossible to find because the composition of the gases interferes with sensor readings."

Entoo Nee's eyes widened. "Wise indeed," he muttered. 

"I remember information, that's all – nothing special. Is Car'das on Exocron?" Mara asked bluntly. 

"I cannot say."

Her heart sank. This was the only real lead she'd had – poor as it was. She'd worked with less information before and had still triumphed. She'd go back to the _Jade's Fire_ and contact Karrde. He might think that she'd found out enough for the moment. The promptings in the Force could be the right ones.

With a polite smile of thanks Mara rose to her feet, offering her hand to the little man. "Many thanks and clear skies."

"You too, Mistress. If I could offer you some advice? This has nothing to do with Jorj Car'das. This is for you."

"Advice?" Mara questioned.

"I think there has been some interest in you personally from some of the lower life types in the area."

"I can look after myself."

"I do not doubt it but… this part of the galaxy is full of many beings that would capture you or kill you for pleasure. You are an attractive female and the slavers and houses of… entertainment are willing to pay for fresh blood."

"Advice noted," Mara said, suppressing a shiver. She had felt curious eyes upon her. Yes, she would return to the ship and prepare to leave. Karrde would decide if she had enough proof. His name had been well known in the area. Car'das was not a work of imaginative fiction – he was a real man and he was alive.

The sky had darkened to a deep navy blue as she left the tapcaf – shadows lengthening from day into dusk and finally, to night. The whole area had that run down look of most spaceports. Regular spacers didn't care for fancy frills. Ramshackle buildings and seedy-looking repair shops lined the street – several shady characters dealing inside each one no doubt. As she hugged the shadows, Mara felt her unease return full force. Her danger sense was telling her to be very careful indeed and Entoo Nee's warning echoed in her head. The sooner she got offworld the better. The almost constant warm drizzle had turned to rain and an oppressive heat lingered even as darkness fell.

"I've been in worse places than this," Mara muttered to herself trying to bolster her flagging confidence. "This is nothing. Definitely contacting Karrde… don't like this place." She reached for the blaster in her thigh holster and eased the hidden one from her wrist. Not wanting to advertise her Jedi status she'd left her lightsaber on the ship. Luke's words came back to her. He'd said that a Jedi was never unarmed when they had the Force. He said his teacher had told him that. Well, she was a Jedi, or nearly a Jedi; Mara conveniently forgot about her sketchy training. 

The Emperor had limited her training but she drew comfort in the fact that Luke wanted to expand her ability and open her totally to the Force. His earnest face crossed her mind's eye. She had the feeling that he was disappointed in her. Mara knew that he wanted her to achieve full knighthood. She wanted that too, but did he not understand that part of her feared that status? Suppose she failed? She froze. Was that the thing which held her back – her fear of failure? Mara took a shaky gulp of air. She didn't deal well with failure – never had.

"I promise, Luke. I'll come back and complete the training one day soon," she vowed to herself. It was a momentous decision taken in the dark on a backwater world but she meant it.

He'd been surprised to see her so close to Lando and when Lando had put his arm around her, Luke had appeared almost…hurt. For some reason she'd actually wanted to tell him that it was all a ruse but she could not. Why should it matter to her what Luke Skywalker thought? Expelling her breath in a sigh, Mara headed towards the area in which her ship was docked but the memory of Luke's blue eyes clouding over with something inexplicable stayed with her.

Suddenly she stiffened. She could sense beings behind her with hostile intent. They knew she was female and alone. "Better hurry," she murmured and started to run.

She'd almost reached the _Fire_ when they attacked. Stretching out with the Force she surmised that there were at least six of them. Blasters in hand, spinning and kicking she dispatched half of them with relative ease.

"This one has teeth. Send for reinforcements!" A burly humanoid shouted.

"She will fetch a handsome price. "

"Lord Tharakan will be pleased. Feisty and beautiful."

"You haven't got me yet," Mara ground out as her foot connected with a satisfying thud. "I'm not planning on pleasing anyone," she hissed. Why oh why had she left her lightsaber in the _Fire? Would they have attacked a Jedi?_

A shot grazed the tip of her shoulder. "Aargh!" she cried. They'd stopped trying not to mark the merchandise. They were attempting to capture her by any means possible short of killing her. Something Luke had said about Callista, his former lover came into her mind. Callista had been a former Jedi from the Old Republic and had survived by pouring her consciousness into the computer aboard _The Eye of Palpatine_. Callista had been fired at and had been hit. _"The more that hit you, the more that **will hit you." Mara understood and grimaced as her fist connected with the burly humanoid's jaw. It made sense – once you were wounded you carried with you a weakness and it was more difficult to keep going – more difficult to stay ahead of the game.**_

Mara knew she was tiring. She had the Force and the Jedi increased strength and endurance but she couldn't keep going for ever. She was only partially trained. She had to get away before the reinforcements arrived.

The stun bolt caught her unawares. Mara went down hard. "No!" she moaned as everything began to waver, pain splashing over her nerve endings. She should have sensed that one coming and now it was too late. _'Luke!' was her last thought as everything went black._

"Got her!"

Once of her remaining attackers rolled her over and a large whiphid snickered his appreciation. "She is a beauty. Tharakan will be pleased."

The burly humanoid rubbed his aching jaw gingerly. "I'm not so sure that she wasn't more trouble than she's worth. Slak, Fyve and J'huup are dead. Reepit needs a med droid and I could do with someone to fix my jaw. I think she's broken it. She'd better fetch a very good price and I mean that – many jewels worth. Load her onto the wagon and take her down to the pens for conditioning."

"Yeah, sure."

"And make sure you drug her with something so she's docile. I don't want her to wake up fighting."

***********************************************

Mara struggled into a hazy awareness.  Her eyes focused on something and she frowned. 

_Bars! _

Force, she felt terrible – her mouth felt like the Dune Sea, parched for life-giving water, her limbs were sluggish and heavy. Something was wrong, she thought. She knew what these feelings meant. Memories surfaced from her childhood and her early teens during her Imperial training of her ability to function under the influence of narcotics. She'd also seen the effects of such drugs on enemies of Palpatine's New Order. It was then that the memories of her failure to escape began to emerge. 

Mara attempted to sit up and groaned as her head protested. She felt light-headed and her surroundings wavered like a faulty holo-recording. "Have to sit up," she grunted and struggled to get into that position. "Got to get out of here." She stood up carefully and took a step and then nearly fell over. She was chained ankle and wrist to the slab she'd been lying upon and a quick glance at her wrist confirmed what her muddled brain already knew. Her weapons were gone. One of the basic rules of capturing an opponent – make sure you disarm them. 

Skywalker knew a Jedi technique to help you filter toxins from out of your system. It worked for poisonous gases and drugs. If she'd maybe stayed longer on Yavin he could have taught it to her. His face swam into her mind. "Luke!" she whispered. "Help me."

_'Mara!'_

Mara stifled another groan. She must be far gone. She could almost hear him "Luke… help me!"

_'Mara! Where are you?'_

"Too far away…" Mara mumbled as she dropped into a restless sleep. The images crowding into her mind made her cry out and call for the only man in the galaxy that could help her.

**********************************

When she awoke again, Mara wasn't sure how long had passed and time still remained hazy. She suspected she'd been in this semi-comatose state for a number of days. As the drugs wore off Mara fought her captors and tried to escape any way she could. The result was that they kept her drugged. She tried to refuse the food but they forced it down her.

After each escape attempt, the beatings had increased in ferocity. They had not attempted to molest her sexually, but Mara could feel the guard's eyes gazing hotly upon her slender figure and began to fear.

In normal circumstances, Mara would be prepared to bide her time and wait for the opportune moment and act when her captors least expected it. But disoriented and weak from ill-treatment and lack of proper nutrition she acted like a wild thing.

"This one is more trouble than she's worth," one of the guards commented with a snarl, nursing his hand which was dripping with blood. As he'd attempted to feed Mara she'd bitten him hard.

"I'm not hungry," Mara spat, her eyes feral. She was not going to give in. They would have to kill her. She would be no man's slave ever again.

"Someone will break her." The voice was cultured and cool.

"Lord Tharakan!" The guards bowed low.

"Prepare her for viewing." The owner of the voice was a tall Ho'Din.

"I'm not…" Mara argued."

"Silence," the guard shouted and slapped her across the cheek."

"Careful Steft and don't mark the merchandise," Tharakan said, his snake-like tresses gleaming.

"I have a couple of buyers I would like to show this one to." He held out a syringe. "See to it that she's docile."

"No! Luke!" Mara screamed as the needle sank into the soft flesh of her upper arm.

"She keeps saying 'look'," Steft commented. "What are we supposed to be looking at?"

"Luke," Mara moaned under her breath as her world clouded over once more. 


	3. Part 3

**The Emerald Price – Part 3**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

****

**Disclaimer: - The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list.**

**The Millennium Falcon**

"Luke… Luke, buddy! Time to wake up."

Luke shifted uncomfortably on a bunk in the _Falcon's crew quarters and opened the eyes he'd felt he'd just closed. "I'm awake, Han," he said quietly, resignation in his voice. "I couldn't sleep much anyhow."_

"That's not true, Junior." Han looked in concern at the younger man. Luke's face showed his worry and fatigue.

"True enough."

"I would have given you longer if I could but that last jump you co-ordinated got us there in hours rather than days. Leia will kill me when she sees the state you're in, kid. I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on you."

"Han, I'm fine. I got what…?" He peered at his wrist chrono. "Five hours you said? That's a long lie. Come on, how many times did we get much less than that? On Hoth, for instance, we never got enough sleep. They kept wanting us to ride out on those ornery, smelly taun-tauns… remember?"

"True." Han shivered just at the mention of the planet of ice and snow and ignored the mention of the taun-tauns. "Don't you still owe me for that one, kid?"

"I think so. Remember being a wall decoration? I suspect it was an even trade. Hoth Icicle for Hutt wall ornament."

"Yeah, yeah. I remember. I try not to, but I do." Han changed the subject swiftly. "I've made some caf."

"Hope it's strong."

"It's strong. This stuff could fuel the _Falcon."_

"I'll need a fork then?" Luke gave a tired grin as he pushed his bantha-wool blanket to one side and swung his feet to the deck plates, searching around for his black leather boots.

Han leaned on the bulkhead near the door. "I never thought that you could do it, kid. But you've taken us all the way out here in half the time. Must have been kinda tricky?" He pulled away from the wall and headed along the corridors.

Luke followed Han through to the _Falcon's tiny galley."Wouldn't like to do it too often. I just hoped the Force would take us here by the fastest route possible. It was strange - I could see the entire route mapped out in my head."_

"Yeah?" Han poured Luke a mug of thick black caf and pushed a pastry at him. "Thank you, Skywalker, the human star chart." He looked critically at the Jedi, for once not swathed in tunic and Jedi cloak but instead dressed in a pale blue shirt and black pants. It somehow made Luke appear vulnerable. Han hadn't seen the kid like that in a long time. "Here, you need to eat too. Leia thinks you're too thin."

"I'm not too thin – I'm streamlined. You can't have a fat Jedi Master. This sure beats ration bars and it's real food. I never turn down real food. Don't know the next time I'll get it." He took a swig of the strong black brew and gasped as it exploded through his tired body. "That just hits the spot."

"Leia says you're too thin." He patted his own lean stomach. "She never says that about me any more. She's had _me on a diet and prescribed extra exercise."_

"I'll believe that when I see it."

"Are you calling me lazy?"

Luke snorted.

"Yeah! We've never had time to get lazy, have we?"

Luke shook his head. "No."

"We're not that far from the nearest inhabited star system. I'd like to land, refuel and take on extra provisions. I know you want to find Mara, kid, but…"

"No, it's a good idea – we need to be prepared. If Mara has passed this way I might be able to get an echo of her presence."

"An echo?" Han quirked up one eyebrow.

"Mara has a strong presence in the Force. Stronger than most…"

"Apart from my kids, my wife, Kyp Durron and you. Even _I can sense her energy and I'm not Force sensitive."_

Luke nodded. "One of Mara's strengths is her ability to communicate through the Force to other users. When the Emperor died this ability was blocked until she and I made contact."

"I understand. The more time she spends around other Jedi the skill improves."

"Yeah! She's learning to open up to the Force." Luke didn't add that he thought she was also opening up to him in ways she wouldn't like. He suspected her link to the Emperor had transferred itself to him when she'd gained her freedom from Palpatine's evil hold. She hadn't quite grasped that little nugget of information but she would and when she did… Luke shook his head. There would be hell to pay. She would not be happy about it and that was an understatement.

"Kid!"

Luke blinked. Han was looking at him strangely. 

"You went into this dream world. You sure you got enough sleep?"

"Sorry, Han. Just worrying about her."

"She's strong. Whatever happens, Mara will hold on."

The Jedi Master exhaled the breath he'd been holding. "I hope so."

"You never usually doubt her abilities."

"I know. Things have changed between us and I can't understand why."

Han thought he knew but it wasn't his place to point it out. Then again, maybe it was. It had never stopped him before. Still, he hesitated and the moment was lost. "So, this echo?"

"If Mara has been on the planet I should be able to find out."

Han grinned suddenly. "We can ask the spaceport authorities. It's perhaps not so mystical but it usually works for me."

"Why didn't I think of that?" Luke opened his eyes wide in mock surprise.

"Because I'm the brains of this operation, Junior."

"Then we're doomed."

"Remind me why I keep you around?"

"My good looks and charm," Luke quipped lightly.

Han could tell the humour was false. "I'm sure it wasn't that."

The smile faded from Luke's face and he murmured quietly. "Yeah. I'm glad you've come along. Something's up, Han.  I can feel it in the air around me. I just hope we can get there before it's too late." 

Han clapped him on the shoulder. "I need you to be ready to co-pilot or man the guns. This area of space follows its own law."

"What we keeping an eye out for?" Luke queried. "Pirates, smugglers…"

"And slaving syndicates."

"Slavers!" Luke froze as something crawled up his spine. "I thought that had been banned by the New Republic."

"Oh, it has, but the New Republic doesn't reach this far out on the Rim. Slaving was originally banned by the Old Republic and then the Empire legalised again. It was rescuing Chewie that got me thrown out of the Imperial Navy."

"There's always something awful somewhere in the galaxy."

You lived here for nearly twenty years, kid. Remember what the Hutts and the smugglers got up to on Tatooine."

"And the Rebels, Han. Don't forget the Rebellion. It recruited quite successfully from planets in the middle of nowhere."

"Yeah, the Rebellion. Many of those the Rebellion recruited were those on the fringe and on the outside of the law."

Luke held out his hands. "Sorry, I'm not thinking clearly."

"It's okay." Han tipped his head back and swallowed the last of his own caf, smacking his lips together he wiped them with the back of his hand. Did the kid know how transparent he was? This was no mere friendship that Luke held for Mara Jade but he recognised that now was not the time to introduce his brother-in-law to the idea that relationships had to be fought for. "I'd better go and check our position."

"Yeah." Luke turned and nearly tripped over a couple of crates. One of them spilled open revealing various half-wrapped packages revealing tantalising glimpse of many jewel-bright colours. "What on Endor are you carrying? You're not going attempt to do some deal while we're out here?"

Han grimaced. "I forgot about these. It's a good job you fell over these and not my wife." He picked up a package and let Luke see the contents.

Luke's fingers touched rich silk. The crate contained bolts of rare and lustrous fabrics from the Hapes Consortium. "This is beautiful."

"It's nearly her birthday, as you well know, and this is part of her gift. There are things for the kids too. The _Falcon is the only place I can hide them. It's not safe to keep them in the apartment."_

Luke placed the fabric carefully back in the container. "Why not in the apartment?"

"I learned the hard way not to hide the presents at home. Your sister is as bad as the children when it comes to presents. I was going to move them to the shielded compartments just in case she needed to use the ship but I got sidetracked."

"Ah yes, a brother-in-law wanting to borrow your ship." Luke's smile was rueful.

Han nodded. "Yeah. He's trouble all right. I don't mind though." He closed the container and pushed it against the bulkhead, securing it to the floor just in case it got in the way if they had to do any fancy flying. He straightened up, gazing at Luke. "What's Karrde going to do?"

"He was heading for Malastare. I think he had business to do. I said I would get in touch when we had news."

"Good old Karrde. He never changes."

The look on the Jedi Master's face was considering. "I would disagree. Yes, parts of him will always be the same but deeper down he has changed. He cares more."

"He's always looked after his people."

"I know but he cares more, although he would sell his ship rather than admit it. Mara is not just an employee. She's a friend.

"That's always been your problem too, kid – the caring too much."

Luke shook his head, his bearing seeming to straighten with the inborn surety of his own mind. "Emperor Palpatine made that mistake, Han. He saw my affection for my friends and my comrades as a weakness. I see it as a strength. Mara's my friend and I care for my friends and when they are in trouble I need to be able to help them. It's the way I am."

"Yeah." 

Han's voice was dry and Luke stiffened. Something in the Corellian's voice immediately put Luke on the defensive. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Han inwardly groaned. Okay, perhaps now _was the time to introduce Luke to the idea that he cared for Mara Jade as much more than a friend. "Ah… kid…"_

Luke's eyes narrowed. "Go on."

"It's just… oh, stang! Mara – is she just a friend?"

"_Just_ a friend?"

"Is that all that Mara Jade is to you, Luke – a friend and probable Jedi Knight?"

"Of course she's a friend. What else could she be?" Luke couldn't quite see what his brother-in-law was getting at and then it hit him and he stiffened, his face growing remote.

"I'm not disputing that she's a friend," Han could see that his probing hadn't gone down quite as well as he'd hoped. He shrugged. Might as well get hung for a rancor rather than a pitten. "I just wondered if she was more than a friend - if you felt more for her than you wanted to. You've been more troubled about Mara's disappearance than I would have thought."

"You think I care for Mara like… a lover would?" Luke's voice had grown quiet and his eyes had turned to blue chips of ice. "You think I want her in my bed?"

"Not exactly but…" Han tried hurriedly to explain himself. "You just seem…"

Luke's real hand clenched in a fist. "Then you're wrong. It's not a love affair. I don't have those, remember? Well, not successful ones. So now I don't bother because that kind of love is not for me. I don't think of Mara in that way at all – no, not at all. It's not like that between us. She wouldn't look at me; I do not attract her. Not once in ten years has she ever let on that she thinks of me as something other than a rather annoying individual. Not once. Besides, she's with Lando. I do not muscle in on another man's property."

"I don't think Mara would like to be referred to as someone's 'property'," Han said. He'd let Luke ramble on thinking that the Jedi's words were rather telling. Luke was protesting a little too much in Han's humble opinion. He wasn't just trying to convince Han. Luke was trying to convince himself. Besides, he detected a slight edge to his friend's voice, almost as if Luke was hurt by Mara's lack of interest.

Luke consciously relaxed his hand letting it fall to his side. "Probably not. She would take her saber to anyone who suggested it. Perhaps Lando is _her_ property."

"Can you see that either?"

Luke gave a mirthless chuckle. "Perhaps not."

"I can't see it, you know," Han said thoughtfully. "Lando and Mara as a couple, I mean. Even after all this time that they've been together."

Luke sighed. "No, nor can I." His words were barely audible. "But they're always together."

"That's one of the things I really don't get. Mara could barely tolerate him before and then wham! Suddenly they were this hot item."

"I know. The news reports even reached Yavin." Luke couldn't understand the disappointment he'd felt.

"It's not a relationship I can see working."

"I don't understand relationships." Luke raised an eyebrow.

Han had to agree on that one. "Understanding women, kid, is something you just don't try to do too hard. It could take a whole lifetime and you'd not be any nearer the truth. I just understand that I don't understand them and then I'm not too surprised when weird things happen around them."

Luke gave a soft chuckle. "Have you told that to your wife?"

"Well…"

Luke stared at the_ Falcon's _deckplates. "Han," he suddenly muttered. "There's no one after your blood out here?"

The Corellian tilted his head to one side and thought about it. "Nope, don't think so."

"No one knows _me _out here…"

"News does get this far out, kid. You can't be so naïve that you think the fact that the Jedi Order is on the rise again and you are the one responsible won't have reached a few ears out here?"

"I'm not that naïve, Han. I don't think there is anywhere in the Galaxy that hasn't seen my face on a wanted poster or a holonet news report." His hand went automatically to the lightsaber attached to his belt. "But no one knows that I am out this far right now. They all think I'm on Yavin with the rest of the Jedi or Coruscant with you and Leia. I think we'd better have disguises and alternative identities if we go planetside but I don't think that's going to be our main problem at this precise moment."

Han suddenly sighed as comprehension began to sink in. "Don't tell me. You've just got a bad feeling."

Luke nodded and began to run. "I'll go and sit in the gun turret?"

"Yeah!" Han was already heading towards the cockpit just as he felt a burst of laser fire whistle past the ship. "You shoot and I'll fly, kid," he shouted as he dived into the pilot's seat.

"I see them," Luke answered pulling on the familiar headset and memories tugged on his emotions and for a moment he was leaving Tatooine for the very first time. Like then, Luke knew deep in his heart, an instinctive Force guided reaction, that things would never be the same.

"Shields up," Han announced, his voice crackling through the com. "Hell's teeth!" he exclaimed as the _Falcon'_s console lit up in alarm. Looking up he confirmed what the sensors already knew.  "Great, a local welcoming committee—"

The two ships approaching the _Falcon at speeddidn't look as if they were welcomingthem to the Elrood Sector. As Han threw the Falcon into a backward loop, Luke finally got a visual on what he could only sense in the Force before. The Jedi Master took notice of a Corellian Corvette which appeared to be much faster than its specs were to be believed. "Pirates, alright," Luke commented into his microphone, as the larger front ship squeezed a round off its laser canon skimming the back end of the Falcon._

"Damn, that's two," Han muttered under his breath, checking his shields. "Wouldn't be anything else, kid, and they don't look friendly."

"I'll try and hit the turbolaser cannons. See if we can disable their teeth." Luke felt his stomach lurch as Han sent the _Falcon into a spinning dive, rolling away from the turbolaser fire. "Too bad we aren't back recruiting for the Rebellion." The __Falcon twisted over and the excitement of days gone by pulsed through him. He shouldn't still crave the excitement but he did. By the time the ship folded back up with ever-growing velocity to meet the gunners head on, the Force was with him and a stream of laserfire cut a first path through their opponent's offensives._

Han skimmed closest to the larger of the attackers, and Luke fired a volley of shots accurately across its hull, and watched the monitors with satisfaction as most of its armoury ended up a blackened warped mess. 

"Got him!" 

"Good. You've still got it, Junior. Now try and get the other one." Han banked the ship sideways pulling away from the other Corvette in a diagonal twisting movement and into open space. "Stang!" he swore as a shot made contact. Although not a direct hit, it was enough to throw the Falcon's ever-precarious electrical system into a fit. The _Falcon bucked wildly for a moment, the lights flickering. "Come on, girl. Hold it together," Han pleaded with his beloved ship. "Luke!" he yelled. "I think they've got the stabiliser. "I can't hold her for much longer. Try and hit the other ship. It's not as fast and I think they've just sent company. Get rid of this one before the others arrive. Two more incoming."_

"We are never going to be able to out-run those other ones unless we fix the...." Luke yelled into the com as he used the Force to fire the rear top guns at the ships gaining on them with alarming speed. 'Typical, just typical' he thought. 'Things were almost going well.'

"No time!" Han bit out, his jaw clenched with tension.

"Figures. Same as always." And suddenly that's when Luke could see it all. "Charge them!"  he yelled, as if a glow rod had just clicked on in his brain.

"There's just not enough power…"

"No..." Coming back into the conversation, Luke shouted, "There's enough for this. There has to be." And with the flip of a switch sent a monitor view of the approaching ships to his friend in the cockpit. "Charge them!"  

Han starred out the viewport and for a brief moment shared his wife's concern for the Jedi's state of being. "We're out numbered, have minimal shields and you want me to play chicken with a band of pirates?"

A wry grin tugged at Luke's set mouth, and without even seeing Han's open-mouthed wonder he gripped the gun controls and replied, "Do you want me to give you the odds?"

A spark lit Han's eyes. "Hell, no!" And with that he pulled the throttle all the way back sending the Falcon looping back in a half figure eight and then, like an Ewok's sling shot, hurtling forward and up towards the crippled ship. "We're not telling Leia about this!" he declared dryly, steeling his resolve."

"Not a word."  

"You keep stealing my lines, kid."

"Can you still out fly him for a couple of minutes?"

"'Course I can still out fly him," Han shot back. "I can out fly anything," Han quipped as he diverted the auxiliary shield power. "You just take out those last few cannons!" There was a flash and the ship shuddered. "I would appreciate it, Junior, if you could do it now. I just think the shields just went."

"Will do." 

Han began to zigzag in complicated patterns, avoiding the deadly laser fire as Luke picked off the remaining guns on the closest ships like womprats in Beggars Canyon back home. Then, the Jedi sank into the Force, letting its familiar warmth steal over him. He was about to launch a volley of laser fire into the belly of the nearest cruiser when another idea crossed his mind. Luke let a smile drift over his face as his eyes drifted closed, his hands falling from the gun controls.

Han gathered up the remaining power and sent the Falcon spinning in between the enemy vessels when suddenly the hull plating of the _Falcon appeared to glow and a strange light seemed to pulsate outward. "What the…?" Han's heart leapt into his throat as he watched events unfold._

"_Wah-hoo!"_

 When Luke opened his eyes the _Falcon_ had left the entire pirate fleet dead in space.

"I don't know what you did there, kid, but they're not moving any more. Oh, wait… they are but very slowly. Let's get out of here before they get up enough power to follow. What the hell did you do?"

At the sound of his brother-in-laws trade mark victory yell, Luke sighed and pulled off his headset and climbed stiffly out of the gun turret. This had taken more out of him than he'd liked. He needed time to rest and recharge his batteries but he sensed he wasn't going to get that yet. "We're not too badly hit are we?" he asked, as he moved into the cockpit and sank into the co-pilot's seat.

"Nah, well, yes." Han had to be honest. "Bad enough to slow us down. We need some parts and I don't carry the spares that we require. We've almost been forced to land here. Just as well that Elrood is coming up. We'll be there in just under an hour. "Come on, kid," he asked again. "What did you do?"

Luke chuckled. "Enough, I hope. I think I momentarily disabled their power. An ion cannon effect without an ion cannon, if you like."

Han whistled. "Kid, you can travel with me any day. It saved our skins." His face changed to one of concern as he flicked several switches without getting the results he wanted. "The _Falcon_ needs attention for sure. She's definitely sluggish."

"Will Elrood have what we need?"

"Undoubtedly. The Elrood Bazaar is famous for having anything you might desire - especially illegal ship parts."


	4. Part 4

**The Emerald Price Chapter 4**

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**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer: **- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list.

**Spaceport, Elrood **

Luke fidgeted in the co-pilot's seat as the large green and blue planet swathed in greyish clouds grew closer. Ahead and to his right, he could see its two grey moons, Sharene and Lodos. "We're not carrying anything weird, are we Han?"

"What do you mean 'weird'?"

Luke gazed around the cockpit, his searching blue gaze seeking anything that might not be strictly legal. "Hardware which might only belong to a New Republic General and not an 'independent operator' in a beat up starship?" 

"My starship is not 'beat up'," Han roared and then widened hazel eyes exclaiming theatrically, "_Now_ you tell me that we're undercover."

"I told you that before," Luke said with a mock groan.

"Just checking," the Corellian said, a grin threatening on his face. "Stuffed them in the sealed compartments while you were sleeping, kid.  You know this baby has been upgraded to my own special requirements." Han waggled his eyebrows.

"Han, it's a joke."

"It had better be. Unfortunately the authorities here are sticklers for regulations. Worse than the Imperials. Don't worry, the _Falcon _will hold up to inspection. They'll probably fumigate her too. unless you persuade them otherwise."

"Fumigate!" Luke's voice rose. 

Han's gave his friend a calculating sideways glance. "I can't hide all the Falcon's modifications. It could mean an extra few days and we'll have to pay a fine."

"You know I don't like doing this, Han."

"Maybe you don't but the longer they delay us here, the longer it will take to find Mara and you told me that we don't have the time."

Luke exhaled a noisy breath. "Okay," he mumbled reluctantly. "But it feels wrong. It's just that influencing minds is a little too near the dark side for my liking." He hunched his shoulders. "I've been there once before and that's once too often."

"If you lose Mara that will be the least of our worries," Han mouthed under his breath and ignored the sharp look that the Jedi Master sent his way.

"This is the _Red Krayt,_" Han intoned flicking a switch to secure the Elrood Starport Command frequencies. "Requesting permission to land at Elrooden Starport."

_"We need your details. transponder codes."_

"Here goes," he muttered and sent the information to the officials waiting on the planet below. "This code worked the last time I was here."

"But how long ago was that?" Luke queried, a hint of impatience in his voice.

Han's face grew serious. "When I was a lesser man - just a second-rate scoundrel."

"You were never second-rate, Han."

"Before you and I met, before Leia and before the Death Stars. before Endor."

"Remember the shuttle _Tyderium_?" Luke asked softly.

"We had to wait for an age before they cleared us."

"Vader knew I was there. They knew we were coming. That's why we had to wait."

But unlike Endor, no one knew who they were and why they were visiting Elrood. Things moved far swifter and the far away voice announced, _"Permission granted. Entry and landing vector set. Do not digress from this path. Docking bay 77."_

"Entry vector set. Over."

_"Noted."_

"Let's hope whoever was shooting at us from above doesn't have friends below," Luke commented as the planet began to grow large in the viewport.

"Unlikely. But you have your saber handy?"

"Always." Luke sighed. "I can't imagine my life without it." He paused in the entrance to the cockpit. "I'm going to see what I can do with the repairs for the moment."

"Thanks, kid. Some of the wiring is shot."

"And that was before we left Coruscant," Luke said, trying to lighten his own mood.

Han's lips twitched. "I should have left you behind. Were you always this mouthy?"

"Where's the hydrospanner?"

"I thought you were going to fix things with that sharp wit of yours."

"Normally I would, but a hydrospanner is so much easier to wield. How long before we land?" 

"You are definitely worse than the kids. Ten minutes out of Coruscant and someone says, 'Are we there yet?'" Han checked his scopes. "About another half hour if we don't run into anymore friends."

"And you said you didn't know anyone out here any more."

***********************************

The _Falcon _landed safely in the out-of the-way docking bay and with Luke to direct the attentions of the inspection team away from anything unusual, they'd been cleared to go about their business. The three humans making up the delegation from the ESC were sympathetic about their escape from the pirates. Han and Luke knew that they had indeed been lucky.

The senior man in the team had sighed. "We try to keep order but recently the traffic in piracy and slavery has greatly increased. We're so far from the Core worlds that it is difficult for the New Republic to come to our aid. In fact I'm not even certain that we are affiliated with the New Republic."

"I'm sure you are." Han made a mental note to check and send them some more support.

"That's one of the reasons why we are so thorough down here. We have to depend upon ourselves but things still get through."

Luke fiddled with the edge of his tunic and hoped his Jedi Master face was working overtime as the inspection team left the ship.

"We're going to need some parts." Han pointed to damage on the _Falcon's _hull-plating. He knew that his precious vessel couldn't have gone much further. While he'd concentrated on flying the ship to safety in its precarious situation Luke had already started on the repairs. He eased himself from the pilot's seat with a sense of relief but he also guessed that his relief could be short-lived. He had to go and see what the damage was.

"Luke?" Han hated having to ask this but his gut feeling told him that the pirates attacking them could have backup on planet and as soon as they left the ship they were fair game. "Can you sense anything?"

Luke's mobile mouth twisted into a wry smile. "Are we heading for trouble?"

"I didn't want to phrase it quite like that but, yes - are we?"

"I don't feel my danger sense twitching but that's no guarantee. We'll know when they start shooting at us."

"That is _so _reassuring. Call yourself a Jedi Master?" Han complained.

"I think we left them dead in space. Your original hunch was right. Still, there's bound to be other problems for us to run into. When have we ever not run into trouble? Where do we need to go?" Luke put down his hydrospanner and stood waiting, his hands on his hips.

"Go?"

Luke indicated the trailing wires and burned out capacitors he'd been attempting to fix or replace. "We need supplies. Where will we find the parts we need?"

"I thought we might need stuff and we do. Have you been able to make a list?" Han cast a critical eye over the work his brother-in-law had been doing. "Looks good what you've done so far."

Luke shrugged, handing the Corellian a data pad with a breakdown of what he thought they would need. "I haven't done anything major."

"I don't think a rebel tech could have fixed things better." With a sense of satisfaction Han realised that the kid still had it when it came to machines. Luke, in his early days with the Rebellion, had been able to fix almost anything. Many people forgot that Luke had lived on the run for years, making do with and mending whatever equipment they had, and assumed, wrongly, that the Jedi master never got his hands dirty. The Corellian saw the satisfied look on the Jedi's face. Luke still loved to work with his hands - he'd never lost that and never would.

"I was one of those rebel techs, remember? When I wasn't being a spy or a pilot or."

"I'm sorry, kid."

Luke lifted his head, confusion darkening his blue eyes. "What for?"

"I'm as guilty as the rest of them."

"I don't understand."

"Machines." Han let his voice trail off and glanced at Luke's hands now dirtied by oil and lubricant. "You always could fix things."

"Still can," Luke said without boasting. From the time he could walk, his uncle had made him help around the farm and then his ability to fix things had surfaced. Owen Lars hadn't been too happy but had utilised the skill. If Luke was busy he wasn't getting into trouble and he had kept the boy busy.

"I know." Han spread his hands out helplessly. "I don't fear you or the power you wield but I can never forget how much power you have at your disposal if you wanted to use it."

"I don't need to use it."

"I forget that you once loved flying your skyhopper, you liked the sun on your face and the inborn ability to fix anything mechanical made you happy."

"I am happy, Han."

"No, you are content and that's a lot different. I've been putting you on that Jedi Master pedestal and forgetting that you're human, kid. For that I'm sorry."

Luke's face grew bleak and then his expression warmed. "Thanks, Han. You're better than most. even Leia. Mara was the only one who treated me like a normal guy. I need that more than ever." He stopped, his confusion evident.

Han glanced at his chrono. "We need to go to the Bazaar. There's a place I used to frequent where they had top-quality used starship parts."

"Will it still be there?"

"It was there long before I was born, kid, and although it changes hands over time, it always remains."

Luke grabbed an oil-streaked rag and wiped his hands to no real effect. "Then we go."

"We need other kinds of supplies too?"

"The usual?"

"Yeah - blaster packs and ammunition."

"I thought we needed food?"

"That goes without saying where you are concerned. I still don't know where you put it."

Luke gave an embarrassed grin. "I never know when I may have to go without a meal so I always stock up."

"Figures." Han pulled on his old camouflage jacket and waited as Luke pulled on a leather jerkin, attached his belt containing his saber around his waist and then wound a grey cloak around his shoulders slightly different from his usual Jedi fashion. "That's new."

Luke shook his sandy head. "Nope. I use it when I don't want to appear too much like a Jedi and I don't want to look too much like a Jedi out here."

"Never hurts to be cautious but the lightsaber kinda gives it away."

"It's underneath my cloak. All they'll see is my low-slung blaster holster."

"You carrying a blaster, kid?" Han's voice was incredulous. Luke hadn't carried a blaster willingly, to his knowledge, since before Han had been captured at Bespin. Not wearing his customary black Jedi garb made him appear almost like a different person - younger and less serious. In fact, he appeared little older than the boy Han had first picked up on Tatooine. Luke should have been that way and not burdened by the galaxy's cares. For a fraction of a moment Han wondered what might have happened if he had left that "kid" at the Mos Eisley Cantina, a kid who had grown wise, yet solemn far beyond his years under the weighty burden of a galaxy's fate.

Han began checking his own ammunition and weaponry. "Spare blaster packs?"

Luke nodded. "Got them. You said this place was lawless. I don't have to use them even if I do have them."

"What about a 'toaster'?"

"A what?"

Han grinned. "Slang for a thermal detonator."

"I haven't got one of those." Luke rolled his eyes. A 'toaster' indeed.

"We'd better pick up a couple then. Always best to be prepared."

**************************************

The two men headed out into the quiet that heralded the grey dawn of an Elrooden morning. Like most starports it was already busy. Beings of all races headed about their business and the machine shops were already ringing to the sound of repairs being made.

Han shook his head. "We'll pay triple the normal price here for parts and that's before they attempt repairs."

Luke nodded. "We can do a better job ourselves."

"That's true."

Luke pushed Han to one side suddenly without warning as a high-pitched humming of a finely tuned swoop engine caught his ears. "Watch it!" he shouted as two repulsorlift swoops sped by narrowly missing Han. "You okay?"

The Corellian brushed the dust from his jacket and pulled himself away from the wall. "Yeah! I forgot about the swoopies. Used to ride one myself."

"Me too. My uncle hated them. Said I would get myself killed and banned me from going near the swoop races in Bestine Town on Tatooine."

"But you still went."

"'Course I did. What do you take me for?"

Han laughed. "Reckless?"

"Takes one to know one."

"I guess it does." Han pointed to a repulsorlift transport car. "This will take us right into Elrooden City. That's where the Bazaar is."

"Won't it be just as expensive?"

"Not if you know where to look."

"And you know where to look."

Han's face was a picture of innocence. "Hey! It's me."

************************************

Dawn rose slowly over the starport as they boarded the sleek transport bound for the city centre and the Bazaar. Han sat with his eyes closed but Luke, tired though he was, tried stretching out through the Force. He had to see if he could sense her - they had to be close now. The transport moved steadily through the outskirts of the City, past tumbledown housing and factories belching smoke. Then the surroundings grew nicer, well maintained modern dwellings were visible behind security compounds. Luke saw none of it, concentrating on locating the presence of the woman he'd come so far to find. 

Not once had Luke thought he would fail to find her - he knew that he would but he wasn't sure if it would be in time. Mara's life was in danger. Not once had he remembered his fruitless search for Callista. This was different. He and Mara were linked so strongly through the Force that he would pick up her heartbeat if she was alive and on this world.

_"Luke. I can't hold on much longer."_

_"Mara! Where are you?"_

_"I'm close, so close."_

_"You're not on this world."_

_"Perhaps I'm beyond this world."_

_"You can't be. you can't. I won't let you."_

_"Luke!"_ Her voice rose on a wave of pain in his mind.

"Kid?" Han's anxious voice brought him back to reality. "Kid. you okay?"

"Han!" Luke squeezed his eyes tight shut. Had he heard her again? Had that been Mara's voice in his head or was it just wishful thinking - a product of his own worry? "Mara's not on this world."

"But she's nearby, isn't she."

"I think so."

"How long have you been able to sense her presence?"

"A long time." Luke was deliberately vague but the knowing expression on the Corellian's face made him sigh wearily and admit the truth. Not even Leia knew that he had linked so closely with the former Emperor's hand. Luke was unsure how his sister would feel about anyone being so close to her brother - especially Mara Jade. "Okay." he amended. "Probably since Wayland."

"Since _Wayland_? But that's."

"Been nearly ten years? Yeah! She doesn't know," he hastened to assure Han. 

"You've hidden it from her. Aw." Han clenched his hand into a fist. "I guess you would have to. _Stang_!"

"What else could I do, Han? Just say, 'It's okay, Jade. You've gained your freedom from the Emperor. You'll no longer hear Palpatine's voice in your head because it's been replaced by mine. You might not want to kill me now but you certainly don't trust me. You think I'll turn into another Palpatine.'" He looked directly at Han. "She still does after nearly ten years."

"Mara doesn't think like that at all," Han refuted the Jedi's assumption sharply. But on reflection maybe the kid was right. Mara would not want another voice in her head.

"Then why does she refuse her Jedi heritage? Why does she refuse to come and train with me?"

"Maybe she just wants to be independent. She doesn't deny her Jedi skills."

"She's content to play at being a smuggler and trading partner or rather, she thinks she is. But I'm linked to her soul, Han. I know what she dreams. She wants to become a Jedi but part of her is rebelling against it. She fears she will lose part of herself and thinks that I have already done so. She cannot accept the Force whole-heartedly and to become a Jedi she will have to."

"I don't know what to say. I'm sorry, kid. I wish I could shed light on all of this." Han lifted his head and stared out of the viewport as the transport slowed to accommodate a sudden upsurge in vehicles. "We're almost there."

Luke stared at the colourful sight of hundreds of brightly hued market stalls of varying shapes and sizes and a throng of beings from all over the galaxy bargaining for their wares. "I had no idea."

"Of the size of this place? No, I must admit it has grown since my last visit and it was huge then."

"Where do we get off?"

"Not here. This is the grand plaza or the Daya," Han said. He pointed to a series of elaborate looking constructions. "These trading establishments are for the tourists and are permanently here."

"Too expensive?"

"You got it, kid."

Luke gaped around him through the transparisteel viewports of the transport as if he'd just stepped off the first ship from Tatooine. "This place _is_ enormous!"

Han grinned. "Yeah, it is."

The repulsorlift car drove away from the polished, cosmopolitan centre of the Bazaar and headed back into the outskirts. Han pulled a data pad from his pocket and began punching in figures. "If my calculations are correct, the place we're looking for is around the next corner." Han leant forward and pressed the button to signal the driver that they wanted to alight at the next station.

Luke glanced around him. They were the only ones left on the transport apart from the driver, a large Coynite, who gave them a friendly, yet ferocious smile as they disembarked.

Han hustled Luke towards a small square in front of a large warehouse. "This is the place." He pulled a small bag from his pocket and ran the contents through his fingers.

"What's that?"

"Small semi-precious gemstones. It's often the only currency places like this will transact business with. I did a deal with one of the inspectors when they came aboard the _Falcon." _He lifted a shoulder. "I didn't need all of that Hapan silk.They paid me in these tiny precious stones. New Republic credits won't always work out here. It kinda screams 'come and get us.' You're wearing a blaster - I didn't think we wanted to advertise the fact that we're legit."

"I would never have thought about that sort of thing."

"That's why you asked me along. Someone to do the thinking."

"It will be the first time you've done any thinking for an age, you old scoundrel."

"You're heading for the Sarlacc pit, kid. Cut out the cheek."

Luke popped off a cheerful salute. "Yes, sir!" 

Han watched as the stallholders set up their wares and the beings began to arrive in some numbers to buy and sell. "You wait here and keep a watch out for anything unusual. I'll go get us what we need. In fact, Junior. Since you tend to think with your stomach." He thrust several of the small gemstones into Luke's hands. "Get the food supplies."

"Hey!"

Luke, left alone, could almost imagine he was back on his home planet watching the weekly market traders set up for a busy days trading. He snorted to himself - apart from the sand and the fact that it was a lot cooler. Also, there wasn't a jawa in sight.

He took his time, wandering among the stalls set up and spent some time chatting to a small boy who was supposed to be helping his grandmother. "I'm helping grandmother but she doesn't mind if I look at the other things to sell. Sometimes, if I'm very good, 'Old Alpert' will give me a swishberi." 

"And these are good?" Luke asked.

"They're the best." The child, in the way that children do, had taken a fancy to the serious blue-eyed stranger who actually listened to him as if he was important. Only his grandmother and 'Old Alpert' did that.

"Have you come far?"

"Yes," Luke replied.

"I could tell."

"You're very clever," Luke murmured with a smile.

"My grandmother says 'I'm all ears and eyes.' She says 'I'm too smart for my own good.'" The child had a certain way of talking and Luke could hear the exact intonation of the grandmother's voice in his speech.

"I don't think you can ever be 'too smart'."

"Then that's okay. I need to be smart to look after my grandmother and save her from the swoopies."

"The swoopies?"

The child's face shuttered. "I help her," he said.

"Then she is very lucky to have such a responsible and grown-up grandson. Not all grandmothers do." He slipped one of the small gemstones into the child's hand. "Much as I am enjoying our talk I need to get my supplies," Luke said quietly. 

The child nodded his tousled dark head and pointed out the best stalls to visit. "Don't go to Darahk's. He'll cheat you because he'll guess that you're from off-world."

"Am I so obvious?"

"In the Daya no one would look at you again, but here," the child shrugged his bony shoulders. "This part of the city doesn't get many off-world beings."

"And you are?"

"Tayo."

Luke bowed. "Good to meet you, Tayo."

"My grandmother and I have a stall. My father's dead and my mother was taken as a slave when I was a baby. We think she's probably dead too."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I never really knew my father. He died when I was small and I can't remember mother much."

Luke stared at the boy before him. He wasn't that big now. He might have been ages with Jacen and Jaina. "It's good that you help your grandmother." 

"Maybe you'll come to our stall. My grandmother makes the best bread."

"I'll make a point of it." Luke waved goodbye to the child, quickly making his purchases before heading back to wait for Han. Just as he reached the warehouse, the smell of freshly baked bread teased his nostrils. Luke retraced his steps. Tayo's bread smelled wonderful.

He wandered slowly up to a small stall set up in front of what must be the bakery. A small dumpy middle-aged woman was busily setting out loaves rolls and various pastries. "I'll buy some of your bread. Your grandson recommends it."

The woman laughed, her dark eyes twinkling in her lined and weather-beaten face. "You met Tayo?"

"I did. He advised me on where I should make my purchases."

"He's got a wise head on his tiny shoulders."

"That he has," Luke agreed with a chuckle as he carefully counted out the amount of tiny coloured gemstones the woman had asked for as she wrapped his purchases.

"Grandmother!" Tayo's voice rang out urgently.

Luke swivelled around on the balls of his feet immediately sensing the disquiet of the woman and child, his hand crept under his cloak to find the reassuring weight of his saber.

"What is it, child?"

"Besketorr and the gang." Tayo gulped, his face white under a thin layer of dirt, his eyes large and fearful. "They're in the next street."

Luke lifted his head searching the Force for its patterns and myriad layers. Something stirred close by.  He felt the menace. "What is it?"

"Besketorr and his gang," she explained shakily. "They demand money. Otherwise, they put us out of business. Look around you, off-worlder. Can you see any of us having wealth here? I have no more jewels to give them." Her face suddenly appeared tired and old, the lines deepening and Luke saw the worry she'd long held. "They told me they'd given me all the time I had and if I couldn't pay them they would ruin my business for ever and transport Tayo to the slavers. They will do it. They took my daughter and killed her husband. Tayo is all I have left."

"What about the authorities?"

"They do nothing," she spat. "They are in the pay of the gang lords - each one more corrupt than the next."

In his mind's eye Luke saw another middle aged woman saddled with the burden of a small child to bring up as best she could in a harsh environment, all the while knowing that his destiny could be her death. Why did life throw up so many cruelties and inconsistencies? Why had this poor family to suffer to make a meagre living?

Her eyes dulled with resignation. "You'd better go."

"No," Luke said. "You'll need my help."

She shook her head. "You'll only bring trouble onto yourself."

"What's a bit of trouble?" he asked whimsically. "Those that deal it out can bring more on their own heads. I'll stay and help," he insisted, his face hardening, rocking on his feet as if ready to spring into immediate action. "Tayo," Luke murmured never taking his steady blue gaze from the older woman's frightened face. "Get out of here. Go and find somewhere safe and stay there, keep your head down and come back when we call for you."

"But I can help too." the child protested.

"In this case - don't think so. You've already been very brave. You gave the warning. Go, Tayo. It's best that you should." Luke injected a little Force persuasion into his voice and the child found himself obeying without question. Suddenly the fear gripped his wiry little body and he sprinted away to his own special place and curled into a ball waiting for his name to sound.

The roaring sound was only heard faintly at first but Luke saw how the rest of the market traders reacted. They began to try and pack up their stalls even though it was too late. Luke came around and stood beside Tayo's grandmother. "What is your name?" he asked gently. He could see she was in shock. 

"Farani."

"Well, Mistress Farani, I suggest you get inside and leave me here. Go inside where it's safe." A cloud of dust billowed around the street corner and the sound of high-pitched roaring swoop engines could be heard approaching closer and closer. "Go inside, Farani," Luke repeated. He curled his hand around his lightsaber, feeling it pulse in his grasp. He would be ready. Pity Han wasn't with him.

The swoop bikes roared into the square at breakneck speed, stopping right in the centre of the square with a squeal of breaks and clouds of noxious fumes. Luke could feel their cruel and greedy anticipation. He also sensed the trepidation and outright fear from the local people. 

There was a sudden moment of complete silence as everyone froze.

Everyone that was, apart from Luke who continued to pack up Farani and Tayo's stall, stuffing the breads into various containers. He had already noted that there were at least a dozen beings mounted on repulsorlift swoop bikes. Bullies needed to be taught a lesson. If one gave in to them it was only a matter of time before they wanted more.

The leader of the gang dismounted from his vehicle and, accompanied by two aliens Luke couldn't recall ever have seeing before, approached the seemingly unaware man. Luke whistled a jaunty air he'd heard Han using on a number of occasions. The stall shook as Besketorr slammed his massive hands down upon it.

Luke turned around. "Hello! You want to buy some bread?"

"Where's the old woman?" the hulking, bearded man snarled at the Jedi Master.

"What old woman?" Luke parried carefully. "I don't see any old woman here. You must have bad eyesight or are perhaps delusional."

Besketorr narrowed his eyes. He had the feeling he'd just been insulted. Nobody talked to him like that. "She owes us."

"From where I'm standing she doesn't owe you anything." Luke's voice was calm. He could sense the remaining stall owners watching him.

Something in that very calmness seemed to enrage the brute opposite him. "You'll have to pay in her stead."

"I owe you nothing."

"This is our territory. Everyone in our territory pays."

"I'm not paying," Luke said and smiled. "I don't know or care who you are. You can try and make me pay but I warrant you'll come off worst."

Besketorr gaped at the sight of the smaller man who refused to be intimidated by him. He didn't recognise the coldness of Luke's smile nor the determined light in his eyes. His hand shot out and grabbed the front of Luke's cloak pulling him over the top of the stall.

"I'm still not paying," Luke enunciated right in the gang leader's face. "I owe you nothing. These people owe you nothing." He gave a grim smile. "I'm getting really bored saying this but you're obviously too thick to understand." Luke grinned to himself. Yoda was right - he was reckless.

A quavering voice shouted out from behind them. "He's right. We owe them nothing."

Luke surmised rightly that it was Old Alpert and used Besketorr's momentary inattention to twist sharply from his grasp and slither free. His hand went to his blaster and when Besketorr turned back to face him he was looking down the barrel of Luke's gun.

"Demons," Besketorr shouted furiously.

Luke stood his ground, his blaster remaining pointed at the leader. It was then he realised that several of the other swoopies were advancing on him with their weapons drawn, their snarling and hissing making the hair on his arms stand on end as he was surrounded on three sides. The stall provided him with no back door for escape.

"Oh, sithspawn!" Luke swore as he crouched and jumped, back flipping himself out of harm's way for the moment.

"How the.!"

"What the hell."

"Get him!" Besketorr screamed as someone threw a smoke grenade into the centre of the market square. Suddenly there was pandemonium as shots rang out and swoopies began to get into fights with the remaining stall owners.

"This way, lad." Luke turned at the sound of the quavery voice. 

"Old Alpert?"

"Aye, lad. That's me. We should have done this a while ago." He produced something from a voluminous tunic and prepared to throw it into the centre of the square.

"Alpert." Luke's danger sense gave a knock. "Don't throw that."

But it was too late. The thermal detonator lobbed away from the old man and Luke was just too late to stop him. There was a bright burst of flame and debris showered them as they cringed underneath the shelter of the stall.

The sound of the swoops being revved up assaulted their ears. "Find him and get him. I want that."

Two of the swoopies came barrelling through the smoke and grabbed the old man, dragging him away. 

"No!" Luke shouted and charged after them.

"Luke! Luke!"

He heard his voice being called frantically and peered through the grey haze of dust and smoke. "Han! I'm over here."

Luke stopped and winced as his brother-in-law banged into him knocking them both to the ground.

"I don't suppose you are behind this little fracas?"

"Guilty."

"What the hell are you playing at, kid?"

"Sorry, Han. Remember how we said that we always get into trouble? I'll explain later. Got to go and get the old guy out of this." Luke climbed to his feet and, with his blaster in hand, ran through the clearing smoke, his Jedi senses accurately finding the way until he came to the centre of the square. Old Alpert stood shaking in the rough grasp of two of the thugs.

"Let him go."

Raucous, jeering laughter greeted Luke's words.

Eyes narrowing, Luke suddenly spun into action, striking out in a hard fighting stance. Making a lightning fast decision, Luke holstered his blaster and brought out his saber. Flipping it on he ran at the swoopies, slashing and kicking until they let the old man go. "Get out of here, Alpert."

Han had set up behind an overturned stall and was carefully shooting at the repulsorlift controls on the swoop bikes watching with satisfaction as they crashed to the ground. "I leave him here for ten minutes and what happens - chaos."

Han, too busy taking pot-shots at confused gang members, didn't notice the influx of new personnel entering the square but Luke did. _Force_! Were these newcomers friends or foes? He hoped the former but fate wasn't usually that kind. He shut down his saber and began chasing another of the swoop riders who had a pretty young girl by the hair. He raised his voice and demanded, "Let her go."

"Come and get her." The swoopie lifted his blaster and aimed a shot at the Jedi Master but missed as Luke ducked away, the shot skimming past him by a hair's breadth.

"Lucky one, Luke," he breathed and then stopped as he met the barrel of a blaster coming the other way.

"'Bout time these guys were stopped," a dry voice said laconically and shifting aim shot the thug straight between the eyes. The young girl screamed and ran as the gang member pitched forward, dark red blood bubbling from the wound.

"You shouldn't have done that," Luke said. "He's dead."

"Good. The thermal detonator took care of Besketorr. That was his second-in-command. Now he's finished off too." He swung his blaster around and pointed it at the Jedi. "Now, where do you fit in?"

_'Second-in-command,' _Luke thought._ 'Oh, Mara! Where are you?'_

The man was wearing a greyish jacket that might have been part of a uniform at one time. "Are you one of them? I don't recognise your face."

"No, I don't know them."__

"Kid!" Han came careering towards them and then stopped dead, his feet almost tangling himself into a heap. Something about the man Luke was standing beside brought forth a chord of recognition.

Han heard a muffled exclamation and then felt his arms being grabbed and tied behind his back. He could see another two men wearing a greyish uniform approaching Luke. The Jedi didn't move but stood staring at the body of a fallen swoop rider.

"I'm no threat to you," Luke said as they grabbed his shoulders roughly.

"Let him go!" Tayo's little figure tore across the rapidly clearing square. "He helped us."

"Really?" The newcomer's voice sounded his disbelief.

"He did, truly he did," Tayo pressed urgently. 

"We should have fought back a long time ago. Just like you told us to. This young man just provided our impetus." Old Alpert hobbled up to Tayo and took his hand. "Come on, Tayo. Your grandmother will be worried. Our thanks, young man," he said to Luke.

"What about him, sir?" one of the men holding a strangely silent Han Solo asked.

"He's with me," Luke said.

The leader of the group turned and stiffened.

"You!" Han said. "It is you. I thought that it couldn't be but it is."

"Let them go," a woman's voice said.

"Let them go?" The man sighed. "You want me to let them go? Okay." He turned to his men. "Let them go."

****************************************


	5. Part 5

**The Emerald Price Chapter 5**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

****

**Disclaimer: **- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list.

"Let them go." The resigned voice was clipped but educated and, feeling as if he was drifting back through time, Han recognised it.

"I'll be a…" he muttered.

Luke let his cloak drop back into place but not before the sharp-eyed stranger had seen exactly what Luke's hand had been reaching for, even though his men were holding the Jedi by the shoulders. It was too much to hope for that the cold grey eyes didn't recognise the weapon he wore so proudly at his waist.

"I don't believe it." Han turned and stared in total disbelief at the man and woman facing him over an upturned swoop. "I really don't believe it. After all this time… it's impossible. I never even considered the possibility that you two might still be alive."

The man made a choked sound, his features stiffening but otherwise said nothing.

Luke lightly shrugged off the grip of the stranger's two men, a peculiar look crossing his face. "You should know by now Han, old buddy, that the impossible is commonplace for us." He'd felt the stunned recognition sweep across Han's emotions. This was no stranger to his best buddy. Han knew this man and knew him well. "Introduce me to our rescuers, Han." 

A battered looking biker glared laser bolts at the group but, without saying anything, carefully picked up his downed vehicle and moved away.

"Rescuers! They…" Han's face tightened and he bit his lip and said nothing.

"Rescuers," Luke maintained firmly. "We may have had the swoopies on the run but there was no way we were going to be able to close out the scene to our satisfaction. They would have been back. We needed their assistance."

Han jerked his hand up and stabbed his finger in the air right in front of the Jedi's nose. "We wouldn't have needed rescuing if your nerf-brained behaviour hadn't gotten us into trouble to begin with. We were supposed to be keeping to ourselves. What part of 'low profile' don't you understand? I go in and do the dealing. You stay and keep watch. Then we go back to the ship and fly away."

"I don't remember that conversation. I never agreed to that."

"No, of course you didn't. Everything has to be from a 'certain point of view'."

Luke shrugged. "I had to help them, Han. You know I can never ignore those who need my assistance."

Han exhaled noisily. "I know, kid." 'Jedi!' he swore under his breath.

The voice was glacially cold. "Han Solo! You haven't changed a bit."

Han glared at the man standing behind him. "Oh, I've changed. More than you will ever know. I'm not like you. Not any more."

The man's voice turned a shade drier if that was possible. "I'm not sure you were ever like me, Solo. So in that respect – you haven't changed. Your choice of companion however…" The stranger's voice slowed as he scrutinised Luke carefully. "Where's your Wookiee friend –Chewbacca?"

"At home minding the kids," Han snapped belligerently, disliking the tone in the man's voice as he spoke about Chewie.

"His or yours?" The woman asked, arching a blonde eyebrow, glancing at her companion. She'd said virtually nothing since the conversation had started.

"Mine. Chewie's son is on Kashyyk with his mother," Han grated out between closed teeth. "He," he jerked his thumb at Luke, "doesn't have any yet."

Luke opened his mouth and then closed it, an uncomfortable expression on his face. He wasn't likely to have any.

"I had heard you'd managed to reproduce successfully. So," the man paused, "respectability for Han Solo and friendship with the Jedi. You have gone up in the world."

"Sarcasm doesn't become you, Feenus."

Luke cleared his throat. "Introductions?"

"I'm Altra Adremetis," the woman said with a cool smile, introducing herself.

Luke assessed her. Short, streaked blond hair framed a smooth oval face and shrewd grey-green eyes. Her trim figure bespoke of an active lifestyle but he reckoned that she was older than him - about Han's age. He could feel her presence through the Force even though she wasn't a Force adept - just her vital, pulsating aura. He briefly thought about Gaerial Captison and Mon Mothma. Another two women who were just as strong without being Force sensitives themselves.

Leia's tutelage of Luke in Old Republic manners came to his rescue. He bowed his head in the proper manner. "I am… Corran, Mistress Adremetis."

"Just Altra, please Corran."

Luke nodded. "Mistress Altra."

_'Corran!'_Han choked suddenly and found himself the centre of attention. A smile crossed Luke's face and Han immediately wanted to wipe it off. So he _was_ going undercover.

"Hello, Han." Her voice was composed.

Han gave a distant smile. "Altra, still as beautiful as ever."

"You are surprised at my change of name?" 

Altra gave Han the excuse he was looking for. These people weren't idiots from the Outer Rim. Surely they had recognised Luke? He thought fast. "I am surprised to hear you finally married this reprobate. I wondered if you might have had more sense."

Altra's companion glared at the Corellian.

Altra turned back to Luke. "Corran, this is my husband, Feenus Adremetis. Both he and Han are missing their sense of humour right now."

Luke inclined his head. There was an awkward silence. Han and Feenus were glaring vibroshivs at one another. Luke closed his eyes tiredly. Just as well he hadn't asked Altra if Han had been an old boyfriend. He suspected that her husband would have murdered them both. Another complication they didn't need. But he always supposed that things happened for a reason and perhaps finding these people was all part of their destiny.

Altra's smile warmed. "But you are married too, Han. It was all over the holonet. Even out here."

Han's mouth quirked into a smile. "Best thing I ever did."

Feenus Adremetis turned a dark suspicious gaze on Luke. "Jedi?" he asked accusingly, narrowing almond shaped eyes.

"Yes," Luke said studying the man before him. "And no, I can't read your mind unless you want me to." The man was hostile but whether he was friend or foe Luke hadn't quite decided. Something about his straight backed awareness of his surroundings spoke of a military past and perhaps even present. Luke's lightsaber had immediately been spotted and its function known.

"How did you manage to end up with a Jedi, Solo?"

"You know a lot about me from the newsnets, Feen. Surely you know that part too? My wife's brother is a Jedi. I'm around them often."

"Enlighten me anyway."

"I picked this one up on a charter flight. Never seemed to get rid of him."

"I wasn't a Jedi then," Luke said helpfully.

Feenus scowled. "We were told the Jedi were dangerous and deserved to die out."

"A good Imperial philosophy," Luke agreed. It was clear to him that Feenus Adremetis was, or had been, an Imperial soldier. Still, something in the Force told Luke that he could trust the man despite his apparent hostility. "There are few of us Jedi yet and what you have been told is wrong. We are here to help not to hinder. Ours is a peaceful order. We are trained to fight, yes, but never to initiate hostilities."

"I'm not sure I agree with the 'help' part of it." 

"I did not start the fight just now," Luke said calmly.

Feenus glanced at Han. "As always, _you_ come with trouble chasing after you."

"I resent that," Han muttered. "We arrive in this system on our own business – are shot at by pirates before we even land and then attacked by swoop gangs when we do. We just wanted to mind our own business – not to be hounded and shot at and then interrogated."

"I don't believe you."

"Don't believe us, but its true. We are still free men?" Han asked bluntly.

"I can't decide…"

"Feenus!" Altra tugged on her husband's sleeve as she interrupted him sharply. "That's enough."

"But…"

"I said that's enough." She looked at the Jedi, curiosity shining in her eyes. "Come on, you look tired."

"Altra…"

"Feenus, I remember Han as a friend. You have no power to detain anyone."

Her husband scowled. "I'm sure he's still wanted for something around here."

Han sighed. "I need to get back to the warehouse and finish getting parts for the _Falcon._ I was interrupted in my task earlier."

Luke nodded. "Sure, Han."

"Can you manage not to initiate any more street fighting between swoop gang members and the local community this time?"

"They needed my help," Luke protested.

"I know, kid. You can still never turn down a cry for help, can you? This time, just do it quietly." 

"Feenus," Altra said. "You go with Han and see he gets what he needs at the best price. I'll take Corran back with me and get supper ready."

"Why should I?"

"Because I asked you to." Altra's voice was firm.

Feenus snarled something rude and turned to follow Han, muttering all the way into the warehouse.

Luke chuckled and shook his head as Altra joined him in laughter. He liked them. Two strong characters but he could sense the love between them. They weren't natives but they had to have been on Elrood for a number of years. They were too comfortable with the terrain and the people. They might have ideas on what could have happened to Mara. He had to cling to that hope that they would help him. 

The Force had led them here for a reason. Perhaps it had been to save Tayo and his grandmother from slavery. Perhaps it was to let Han catch up with some more of his past, but surely it would lead him to the woman he… respected the most in the world. Yes, that was it. He respected and admired her.

She had not been on Elrood, Luke knew that much. There was no echo of her presence in the Force singing through his mind but she was close. If only she could call out to him again.

"You're very quiet," Altra commented as they walked to her home.

"Just got a lot of things on my mind," Luke replied. He glanced around. They were in a small courtyard surrounded by doors.

"We're right at the top. It's not much but we're comfortable. She pushed open a door which led into a tiny hall with a couple of turbolift doors at the other end. Luke followed her into the turbolift and stood quietly during the short ride to the top. 

When the doors opened Luke found himself in a hall decorated with muted colours. He released a little of his tension as the calm surroundings eased him. 

"We're here. This apartment is ours." Altra ran a card through a slot on the door, waiting for it to slide apart. Luke followed her inside and was pleasantly surprised to find a warm and welcoming home.

"This is nice," he said.

"We like it. It's quiet here and no one bothers us much." She went through to the kitchen and returned a few moments later with a couple of mugs of caf. "Here."

Luke gratefully accepted the drink and sat with his nose almost buried in it, inhaling the aroma. "Thanks."

Altra sank into a chair opposite the Jedi and stared at him. "I can see why Han likes you," she said. "You counteract his restless energy."

"I think it was the opposite way around when we first met," Luke stated quietly. "I don't think I was ever still, but I'm tired. It was a long flight from Coruscant." He closed his eyes briefly with fatigue before returning her frank regard. "How do you know Han?"

She hesitated. "It's difficult."

"You don't have to tell me but I sense that you knew him well."

"You could say that. A lot of stars, space and differing ideologies between them. They were good friends once. They were in the same class at the Imperial Academy and graduated together, serving on the same ship for a time until…"

"Chewie?"

"The Wookiee… yes. I suppose you know him too."

"I do. He's a good friend and one I would trust with my life."

"Yes, but to give up everything?"

"Sometimes fate gives you no choice."

"Han had a choice but…"

"He was discharged," Luke declared knowingly. "I've seen his file and I know exactly what happened. Han would do exactly the same again if he was faced with an identical situation. For him it wasn't a choice. He had believed that the Empire was good and true but his ideals were tarnished by the experience of seeing slavery at first hand. How could people treat sentient beings with a culture and history as rich and diverse as the Wookiee's as second class citizens? He can't abide cruelty or slavery and never will. I can't imagine Han without Chewbacca. They'd both be dead without the other."

Altra sipped her caf, her hands shaking slightly. "After that we didn't see him for several years – he seemed to have vanished."

"He avoided places that his friends might have frequented," Luke said. "Part of him was ashamed." Luke's blue gaze sharpened. "But you are not Academy trained, are you? How did _you_ meet Han?" 

"I met Han through Feenus."

"Of course. I'm not thinking."

"You're tired, Altra said quietly. "I had originally met Feenus at some sort of minor diplomatic dinner. I worked in one of the offices attached to the senate. Mostly dealing with correspondence," she shrugged self-deprecatingly. "One step up from a secretary droid actually. But it was work and it paid well. We'd started seeing one another whenever his leave took him back to Coruscant. When we started dating seriously, Han often came with us for a meal or a night out. He was good company in those days. Then he changed. I could see that he wasn't enjoying his work. I think he'd only seen the cover and not what went on underneath. Feenus couldn't understand what was wrong with him."

"But you did?"

She nodded, her grey-green eyes troubled. "I worked in the Senate building. I dealt with beings of other races every day. I saw the way that racial inequality was being promoted. Feenus wasn't used to that. He could accept the Imperial view that the aliens were lower life forms. He could until one of his best friends abandoned his whole career for a supposedly lesser being." She paused and stared into her cup, clearly remembering scenes from the past.

"There's more?"

"You're good at this," Altra murmured. "Must be part of being a Jedi."

"Perhaps."

She took another sip of caf. "With the increase in rebel activity, Feenus' ship was sent to the Outer Rim territories. He was part of the Imperial inspection team that boarded the _Millennium Falcon…"_

Luke winced. "Ouch. A rather unfortunate coincidence."

"Yes.Feenus got rather a nasty surprise when he discovered one of the brightest cadets to come out of the Imperial Academy was now smuggling spice for the Hutts."

"He let him go, didn't he?" Luke probed gently. "Han thought as he'd jettisoned his cargo he'd be safe.

Altra closed her eyes. "He let him go even though he had the proof that Han was guilty. There were traces of the spice in the ship's hold and if that had been known they would have torn the ship apart. Most smugglers work with hidden, sealed compartments. He told the rest of the team that he'd found nothing. Feenus was disgusted at how low Han had sunk. He said at the time that the only thing Han could do that was worse, was to join the Rebellion."

Luke shook his head, a smile on his face. "That _was_ the next thing that he did – join the Rebellion."

"Yes, so we heard. His name and yours on the 'Empire's most wanted' list."

"My name?"

"Your name's not Corran - is it?"

Luke sighed. "No."

"It took me a while. You seem different from your holos and other such images but I think it's your eyes that give you away. I've never seen eyes so blue. You are the head of the Jedi Order. You're Jedi Master Skywalker." 

"Yes, I'm Luke Skywalker. Corran Horn is another Jedi. A good man – a Corellian. He won't mind me borrowing his identity for a while."

"I don't think Feenus has realised yet who you are, but he will. He's so blinded by his anger right now that all he sees is a Jedi accompanying his former friend. In all the holos I've ever seen the only Jedi with Han Solo is one Luke Skywalker."

"We had to bump into the only former Imperial on Elrood that served with Han Solo. This is just so typical."

Altra smiled. "It is a strange one."

"Why is your husband so angry and why are you still living out here? Han made his choice and lived with it. Feenus was still a member of the Imperial fleet and still had that promising career and _you_ ahead of him. We know why Han threw it away. Why did Feenus Adremetis do the exact same thing?"

"Feenus is angry because he realised that Han had been right all along. He resents him for understanding sooner, that the Empire he swore to serve with his life was nothing but evil."

"Not all of the Empire was evil. The Emperor was evil but if your husband truly served him, then he was doing it with the best of intentions."

Altra gave a small smile. "I was transferred from the job I worked on after they disbanded the Senate. There was no need for me to be there any more. I was due to be sent to an industrial world to help the bureaucrats there. Feenus persuaded me to find another job on Coruscant, which I did. We married when he came home on his next leave. It was just after Alderaan and the destruction of the first Death Star. Things got worse for Feenus after that – he's a good man with a conscience. He could see what the Empire was doing to so many innocent beings. Han had taunted him the last time they'd met. Questioned his honour when Feenus had sneered at his. Now, Han's words struck home."

"What did he do?"

"He deserted. Just days before the battle of Endor. He couldn't take it any more. I left everything I knew to join him here – my home and my family. He felt that he was worse than Han because he'd been perpetrating the lie. He should have seen that it was all false." Her smile turned bitter. "He's never really recovered."

"Then Han turns out to be the good guy."

"Yes, a real hero. Friends with the Jedi and husband to a princess."

"My sister, Leia. She's Jedi too as are their children. I have this gift – it's like having an extra sense about things but otherwise, I'm quite ordinary."

Altra's face showed her disbelief. "Yeah! Right!"

"Why didn't you return to the Core after the Empire fell?"

"Remember, the Empire didn't fall immediately."

"Tell me about it." Luke's voice was heartfelt.

Altra gave him a sympathetic smile. "There was a lot of messy mopping up on both sides. Feenus didn't know that the Emperor had died until months after it had happened."

"Ah, he thought he could be caught and punished for his desertion."

"For the first couple of years we moved around a bit until we came across some of Feenus' former comrades. They were out of the service and looking for something to do. We ended up here."

"So what do you do?"

"If Feenus wants to tell you he will tell you. I have said enough." The smile on her face was rueful.

"Fair enough."

Altra laughed warmly. "I haven't opened up like this to anyone, especially a stranger, in years. I don't think I've told Feenus as much. It's very cathartic. You could do good business counselling."

"Haven't the patience for it, normally. There are other Jedi far more gifted than I in these areas. My sister, for example, is a skilled diplomat."

"And she married Han?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "He is _not_ a skilled diplomat."

"No, he never was good at minding what he said." She placed her cup down on a small side table. "Why are you here, Jedi Skywalker?"

"Luke, please. We're searching for a friend of mine." Luke's mouth straightened and his worry once again became visible on his face. "She's in some sort of trouble."

"She?"

"A fellow Jedi and, yes, a good friend. She just disappeared."

"This is the edge of nowhere, Luke. If she wanted to disappear this is the place to do it."

"She's not the type to just vanish. I know she's in trouble. I heard her call for me."

"Call for you?"

"Through the Force."

"Have you an image of her?" Altra wasn't sure what a female Jedi would look like. She envisaged someone tough and warrior-like but was surprised when Luke pulled a small holo from his pocket. The woman pictured within, laughing at the holocam, possessed delicate, beautiful features, an abundance of red-gold hair and striking clear green eyes. 

Altra tilted her head and glanced at the Jedi Master but he was staring at the picture with his heart in his eyes, gripping the frame until his fingers were white. "She's your lover," she said.

"Wha… what?" Luke registered her words and his eyes grew wide with panic. "No, she's not."

Altra gazed at the startled man sceptically. "I'm sorry, my mistake."

"She's just a friend. She has a lover…"

"So where is he and why hasn't he come all the way out here to look for her?"

"He's busy." Luke was aware of how lame his answer was. Lando _should_ be here searching for Mara.

"A woman that beautiful would fetch a high price in the slave markets."

The holo fell from Luke's suddenly nerveless fingers and clattered onto the floor.


	6. Part 6

**The Emerald Price Chapter 6**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

****

**Disclaimer: **- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list.

**Elrood**

"A woman that beautiful would fetch a high price in the slave markets."

The holo fell from Luke's suddenly nerveless fingers and clattered onto the floor. "What?"

Altra picked up the holo and handed it to Luke. "A woman like that is a prime target for slavers. I'm only stating the obvious. If a lone woman disappears in this place then that is usually what's happened. She will have been picked up on the outskirts of the spaceport by a slavers gang. Those swoop riders you were interacting with earlier could and would have taken young Tayo away for sale. They often have agreements with the slave guilds. They pay them many jewels for such merchandise."

Luke's voice shook. "That's what has happened to her – she's been taken by slavers. I'm sure of it."

Altra was taken aback at Luke's certainty. "Why are you so sure?"

He swallowed trying to clear the huge lump that had wedged itself deep into his throat. "I can sense things. I am a Jedi, after all, and when you said 'slavers' something rang like a warning bell in my mind. The Force obeys our commands and yet it guides our actions. It can give guidance or a warning." 

"I hope for her sake that you're wrong." Altra's face was grave.

"I hope I'm wrong too but…" Luke lifted his hands helplessly. There was a moment's silence, then he jumped to his feet and began pacing. "I'd better go and find Han now. There's no time to lose…"

"Did she vanish on this world specifically?" Altra questioned pointedly.

Luke stopped. "I… I… don't know… Maybe… No." He took a deep breath trying to calm the sense of panic welling up in him. Obi Wan and Yoda had spoken of calm and peace. He would be no help to Mara if he couldn't focus more clearly. "I can't feel her presence here."

"Sit down, please." Altra watched as Luke reluctantly retraced his steps back to his chair. "I thought the _Falcon_ was not quite at her best? How are you going to find her if you cannot leave Elrood?"

"Sithspawn!" Luke swore, his face and jerky movements betraying his agitation as his tenuous grip on his serenity fled once more. "I have to do something. I can't just sit." He propelled himself out of the chair again and strode to the viewport, gazing out of it as if he could will Mara to him. "I can't… knowing she's in trouble."

"Rushing off without a battle plan won't help your lady. There are many worlds out here. How are you going to pinpoint the exact one?" 

"The Force," Luke replied simply.

Altra observed Luke's white face for a moment, before moving to a cabinet and pulling out a glass and a bottle containing a cloudy reddish liquid. She poured a tiny amount into the glass and handed it to the Jedi Master. "Sip this… I said _sip_ it," she ordered as Luke tipped his head back and swallowed a mouthful. "I told you to sip it – this is strong stuff." She shook her head as the effect of the spirit hit the back of Luke's throat. 

"What…" he coughed, his eyes streaming, "…is this?"

"A local liqueur. They call it 'Devil's Fire.'"

"Aptly named."

Altra poured a minute amount for herself and sipped gently. "You could be wrong," she said, shuddering delicately as the alcohol hit her taste buds. "The same thing could have happened to her as happened to you. Your lady could have been shot down by pirates."

"No." Luke's head drooped. "I'm not wrong. She's still alive." He tried to calm his racing heart and whirling mind. 

"You know this?" Altra asked. She'd never been in such close proximity to a Jedi before and he wasn't at all what she had expected. In fact, she didn't know what she expected a Jedi to be. Luke Skywalker confounded all her ideas.

"I can feel it," Luke said. He tapped the side of his head and then his heart. "I know it in my head and sense it in my heart. She's not dead… She can't be - I would know. We're too strongly linked. I'd better call Han," he repeated. "And she's not mine," he whispered to himself. "She never will be."

"Han shouldn't be long. Besides, he's gone with my husband to get the parts for the _Falcon_. What can you do until the ship is fixed?"

Luke's mouth tipped into something approaching a smile. "Those two looked as if each wanted to do the other a serious injury. Do you think they are still alive - Han and Feenus?"

"Probably. They need to talk, Luke."

"I know." He stared at the tiny glass in front of him. "That's why I came with you and let Feenus accompany Han. If I really thought there was any danger I would have gone with them."

Altra's mouth dropped open. Okay, maybe he was more like a Jedi after all. "You… you…"

"I did think, however, that you could possibly be some help to us. The Force directed us to you or you to us for a reason."

"I find that hard to believe," Altra muttered quietly.

"It is up to you what you believe, Mistress Altra, but it is the truth." Luke sat up straighter. "Tell me everything you know about the slaving guilds in this sector. Forewarned is forearmed after all. You are right - I do need some sort of plan." He clenched his prosthetic hand into a fist, his eyes lingering on the pale flesh of his hand. "I've rushed into things before and not come out of it the way I wanted to."

*****************************************

**Aaris**** III**

From the outside, the building appeared innocuous, perhaps even bland. But the four story grey duracrete structure, once a centre for Imperial bureaucrats had a more sinister identity. It was the nerve centre of Tjoris Tharakan's slave Empire. He was only one member of a thriving slavers guild but he was one of the more successful ones. 

Tharakan had made a fortune dealing with the misfortune of others and planned to continue doing so for a long time. He had acquired the building after the Imperial rule on Aaris III had collapsed. The basement and first floor housed the slaves, the second, his employees, the third was given over to storage and offices and the fourth, was his personal home and the place where he saw his most exclusive clients. 

Tharakan's head snakes curled as he perused the contents written on a data pad. This transaction would be most profitable. The Admiral spoke of rich contacts with an eye for worthwhile slaves. What the Admiral hadn't mentioned but Tharakan had heard of, through his many spies in the business, were the reports of the growing attempts of an anti-slaving organisation to sabotage his most lucrative deals. By the green blood pumping through his two-and-a-half metre body, he would not let them disrupt his little Empire. He'd worked too hard for this. He had plans.

The upper chamber housing Tharakan's private apartments was set up in a luxurious fashion. Soft, well-upholstered daybeds, priceless works of art and gilt looking-glasses decorated the rooms. 'Yes,' he thought idly. 'My career has been most profitable.'

Tharakan's lip curled in a sneer. He was now worth millions of credits. His family would be amazed at how much he was actually worth. The head tails of his stupid, plant-loving relatives, who had turned him away in disgrace, would writhe with embarrassment. Tharakan considered that he had been born into the wrong species. Somehow his soul should have been born in the body of a Hutt or a Twi'lek. Although he despised both species - especially the Hutts - for their lack of physical beauty, he admired their grasp of commerce. He brushed a speck of fluff from his immaculate blue tunic. His home planet of Moltok was not one he wanted to return to. He didn't think they would let him in, so thoroughly had he gone against the nature of his gentle species. "Stefft!" He raised his voice peremptorily. "Are the slaves prepared for transport?"

The burly human melted in from the shadows and bowed low. "Yes, Lord Tharakan but…"

"There is a problem?" Tharakan's voice was cool.

Stefft raised his head. "No… yes… The sickness has taken down many. Several of the weaker beings have died."

"No matter. They would not have fetched many jewels." The Ho Dinn paused, snake-like tentacles curling around his head. "There is another problem."

"The red-headed female…"

"Ah, yes! You do not like her."

"She is trouble but she will sell well. That is…"

"What is it?" Tharakan's voice sharpened, the hint of the sing-song lilt of his native accent creeping through. He had tried so hard to eradicate his roots. He calmed his racing pulse. He did not like to appear to be soft or overly emotional. He liked to be thought of as cool, calculating and in control. It made the clients he dealt with much more amenable to his prices. A hot head gave others the advantage.

"She has the sickness too. I don't think she reacted well to the stuff we gave her to calm her down."

"She is dressed and ready?"

"She has been prepared but…"

"Bring her to me," Tharakan ordered.

Stefft was beginning to think he was in the wrong employment. He'd worked with Tharakan for several years. He was beginning to think that taking the red-headed woman had cursed them all. Several of his comrades had died and now this sickness had taken away some of their profit. If the slave lord didn't get his jewels, neither did Stefft. The sooner she sold the better. He bowed and took the turbolift down to the preparation chambers.

The sight that met his eyes did not bode well for getting the woman off their hands in a lucrative sale – not if it was discovered that she was trouble. While he had been with Tharakan she had somehow managed to cause more damage. 

Mara stood against a stone pillar, dressed in a skimpy two piece costume with wispy veils shrouding her form, revealing yet keeping her soft flesh from naught but her buyer's sight and touch. Her red gold hair had been braided and threaded with glittering jewels, her too bright eyes outlined in exotic makeup. Stefft felt a hardening in his groin at the sight of her – the woman was stunningly beautiful. Too bad she was off limits until she sold.

"We had to chain her to the pillar," one of the other guards explained. "All the conditioning has failed."

"As soon as they untied her feet she kicked out and caught Prebs right in the jaw. It broke in two places. I don't even think she was aware of what she was doing."

"I told you not to let her free, Ustar," Stefft ordered. The woman was untamed – like a wild thing. No one had failed to take the conditioning before. It was unheard of. "Prebs!" he ordered.

The guard turned around, his hand cradling his jaw.

"Go with the medic, he'll get you sorted. He stared almost helplessly as Prebs was led away by a medical orderly.

Ustar roughly poked at Mara with the butt of his rifle. "We thought she was out for the count. She's been given enough medication to fell a full-grown bantha." He peered cautiously at her white face. "She's docile enough now."

Mara made a funny little sound and slumped shivering against the pillar. Tharakan's doc-droid rolled up towards her and began extended various instruments. "She has the sickness. She cannot be put for sale today."

"The Lord wants her upstairs," Stefft argued. "So she goes."

"Perhaps he can sell her before she drops dead like the others." The droid's dispassionate tone suddenly grated on Stefft. "But if he wants a sale achieving the most jewels he should wait a week. She is sick. All the slaves are sick."

"Perhaps." For an instant he almost felt sorry for the woman who had slid down the pillar and was now lying in a crumpled heap at its base, the curve of her slender neck hinting at a vulnerability they hadn't considered. She looked to be unconscious again. He untied her from her bonds, lifted her into his arms and placed her on a repulsorlift litter. Securing her arms and feet to the sides of the stretcher – he was taking no chances - he arranged her in a becoming pose, his hands lingering on her soft curves. She was certainly shaped in all the right places. What he could do in a soft bed with a female fashioned like this one defied the imagination. He frowned as his large hands again made contact with her skin. She was burning up with fever. This was most inconvenient.

"Have you given her the medication?"

The droid beeped an affirmative. "She has the usual substances to keep her docile."

"No, not that, you stupid heap of metal. Stuff for the fever?"

"No, it would react with the medication she has already been given. Perhaps some of that will help neutralise the infection. It could, quite possibly kill her."

"Call yourself a medical droid?"

"My ethics subroutines were removed when I was employed in this establishment. There is no use searching for them now. I am not utilised to save lives unless it is expedient for my master for me to do so."

Stefft grunted. "Let's get her to sale and then she's someone else's problem."

If the droid could have sniffed he would have. "As you wish."

A tremor ran through Mara's body and the burly guard paused. "You'd better give her something else. We can't have her doing that in front of the clients."

"It's her funeral."

"Quite probable but just do it. As long as you keep her alive long enough to fetch a worthwhile price."

The droid returned to Mara's side and a long needle emerged from the claw like arm.  "Move the repulsor-bed closer," he ordered stiffly in his metallic voice. The needle slid into Mara's soft flesh already bruised from other such doses.

Stefft pulled a communicator from his tunic pocket. "One item, human female, ready to load," he barked out quickly. The repulsorlifts raised the stretcher from its resting place and it floated towards the loading bay. Two Weequay guards slotted in behind it, their rifles ready.

*************************************

**Elrood**

Feenus Adremetis stared at Han Solo, antagonism and resentment in every fibre of his Imperially trained body.

Han lifted his head from the datapad he was consulting. "What!" 

"You always were a bastard."

Han laughed contemptuously. "Don't take your feelings of guilt and inadequacy out on me, Adremetis. I've done nothing to harm you except hopefully give you the conscience you were lacking." He turned away and began searching through a pile of second-hand capacitors.

"So what happened to the Wookiee? Did you desert him too?"

"His name is Chewbacca. You feel uncomfortable even saying it. He has a name and is probably brighter than you and I put together. Just because he's not human…" He jerked away, his shoulders rigid with the anger he was trying to contain. "Chewie is on Coruscant looking after my wife and children. I would never leave Leia without protection."

"Leia?" Feenus feigned ignorance.

"My wife. You know who she is and don't even think of denying it. Chewie decided that because er… _Corran_ was with me on this trip, he would stay on Coruscant with my family. He includes them in his life debt too."

"How touching. Like a family pet."

Han slammed down the item he held in his hands and snarled almost in the other man's face. "Listen, bud! You're trying to get me to lose my temper and you're coming damn close to succeeding." He took a deep cleansing breath. "But my Jedi pal wouldn't like it. They are pacifists."

"He didn't look very peaceful to me half an hour ago."

"He has his moments," Han muttered. "I wouldn't ever let Chewie hear you refer to him as a family pet. Your arms would be disengaged from the rest of your body and probably your legs too. I would watch and enjoy it but I don't want to upset Altra too much. I remember her fondly. She is one classy lady despite having the misfortune to hook up with you. I'm pretty sure that you're aware of Leia's identity and occupation. My wife is a Senate politician and a high profile one at that. I have three children…" Han reigned in his spiralling anger. "Do you know how many times my family has been threatened? Of course you don't." Han focused his attention on finding the parts he needed for his ship then he and the kid could fly away. The sooner they found Mara Jade and got back to civilisation, the better.

"I would imagine quite frequently." Feenus spoke quietly. "Unless you're lying."

Han screwed his face up. This wasn't the guy he'd been friends with during his Imperial military career. Could he have been cloned? "Why would I lie about my family? My wife has been Chief of State of the New Republic. Not exactly the most secretive job in the world. As you yourself said. 'News even gets all the way out here.'"

"We heard snippets."

"Oh, don't give me that. The former Princess of Alderaan marries a smuggler?"

"It was mentioned."

"Thought so. Chewie and several Noghri warriors remain with my family to protect them."

"So where did you pick up 'mister impassive'?"

"You didn't call him that a couple of moments ago."

"He is difficult to read I'll admit."

"He's a Jedi… According to legend they are supposed to be aloof and inscrutable. Corran Horn is one of my brother-in-law's recruits. One of his Jedi friends has gone missing. He's looking for her."

"Your brother-in-law? That would be the Jedi Master, Luke Skywalker?"

Han frowned. He knew Feenus was well-informed but had he guessed Luke's real identity already? He hadn't gone for deep cover or a Force disguise. He'd just impulsively appropriated Corran Horn's name. "That's him."

"The stories about Luke Skywalker are quite astounding – if they are true."

"Stories?" Han chuckled. "There's always exaggeration. Things grow and change the more they are repeated. I know Luke better than anyone apart from Leia. I can believe that the stories are quite outlandish but most of them _are_ true." Han's face sobered. "He was just an ordinary kid when I first met him. Not even out of his teens. The war hit him hard."

"So what is so special about Luke Skywalker?"

Han smirked as if he was trying to stifle his amusement at some private joke. "If you met him you would know how special he is. There are reasons but most of them are nearly impossible to explain. He just _is_. He can do things that just don't seem human or possible and then get himself into such a farkle. Not even a first year cadet would do the kinda stupid things Luke can do at times and believe me I mean _stupid_." His face turned serious. "But when he's around everything is brighter and more vivid. He kept me alive, Feenus. I don't expect you to understand why or how, but he did."

"So he's nothing like this Corran guy?" Feenus muttered disparagingly, nonetheless he was amazed at the truth he could hear ringing through Han's voice.

"Oh, they have similarities."

"He just seems a bit dull for you. As I remember you liked living on the edge."

Han laughed. "Dull… Corran? Nope, not at all. You've only been in his company for what? All of five minutes and remember appearances can be deceptive."

"Very philosophical, Solo. You've been living with the Jedi for too long. It's a wonder they can't see through you because I can."

Han held onto his still precarious temper. He could tell by the look in the other man's eyes that he was dying for Han to just take a swing at him. But he wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. Luke and Leia would be proud of his restraint. "It's not going to change either. My wife is Jedi and my children will be Jedi. The Force runs strong in their family and now in mine. I'm getting used to it. They're only human… no, some of them aren't. Some of the Jedi are Mon Calamari, some are Twilek…"

"So you've been getting soft, living the high life," Feenus's voice turned scathing. "General."

Han stood and watched the still angry man. 'Mara Jade used the same tactics,' he realised with a burst of surprise. 'An angry opponent isn't one that's thinking too clearly and could let some vital piece of information slip – very clever. He knows my New Republic rank. So why does he want information from me – what information and who is he working for?' 

"…gave up on order and rationality." 

"Hardly," Han returned briskly. "Drop the act, Adremetis. I'm not buying it."

"Why are you here, Solo?"

"I told you, to search for the missing Jedi, although it's none of your damn business."

"I'm making it my business. Are you sure that's all there is to it?"

"You can't and yes, 'that's all there is to it'." Han narrowed hazel eyes and assessed the man he'd once called 'friend'. "Unless you're still with the Empire or with the Elroodian Security Force, you cannot make me do anything." He moved a little closer. "You're not still with the Empire, Adremetis?"

They stood, gazes locked on one another until Feenus lowered his head and broke eye contact. "No, I'm not. Not any more."

"Then you cannot make me do anything." Han turned away and started rifling through a sack of burnt out fuses, hoping that something might appear to work and fit the _Falcon's _systems. "I trained with you and I'm very familiar with standard Imperial methods, but remember," his voice softened menacingly as he turned his head and caught Feenus in the compelling grip of his gaze. "I fought for the Rebellion. Like you, I led men into battle. I've been to places where you wouldn't send the most combat hardened veteran. I've looked Darth Vader in the eye… er, in the helmet and lived to tell the tale. I rescued my ideals and believed in them once more. You didn't."

"Solo!"

"I was going downhill faster than a taun-taun on an ice cube. Leia and Luke saved me from crashing at the bottom. Don't give me 'high-life', Adremetis."

"Listen, Solo…"

"No, you listen!" he hissed. "When you and your pals boarded the _Falcon_ all those years ago, I had to dump a cargo-hold of spice. You knew it, and I knew that you knew it. Jabba had a bounty slapped on my head quicker than Ewoks up a tree. I joined the Rebels just in time to see the first Death Star go up bigger than the Coruscant laser lights show. Jabba's bounty was increased by an Imperial one. You do the maths, Adremetis. I've been fighting just as long as you have and just as hard."

"You always were a good man to have at your back in a fight," the other man said grudgingly.

"Don't stint on the praise."

"Oh, I won't if it's deserved."

Han added a final heap of wiring to his pile of parts and walked to the dealer to pay. The dealer looked at Feenus standing behind him and added a generous discount. Han stiffened and then counted out the required amount of jewels. "Thanks," he muttered grudgingly. 

They headed out of the warehouse and into the twisting side alleys that led off the main square. "Altra and I live not far from here."

"You do?"

"Yes."

For a moment there was an uncomfortable silence but Han had to ask. "Why are you here? Why did you leave the Empire? Your lofty ideals weren't shattered as brutally as mine were. Why drag Altra to the other end of the galaxy – she's pure Core? What about her family?"

"I am her family." The perpetually angry expression that Feenus had worn since he'd seen Han again, softened to something resembling a sort of hurt bewilderment. "I saw that you were right."

"What!" Han's eyebrows shot up almost to his hairline. This was a difficult admission for a proud man like Feenus to make.

"It took a while. Part of me is still angry at you…"

"I would say more than a part," Han interrupted trying to come to grips with this disclosure.

"Part of me is still angry at you for giving me a social conscience. I would never have viewed the glorious Empire in that light otherwise. What you made me see I didn't like. I didn't want to know, dammit! I didn't need to know how flawed everything I believed in was or how cruel and I was part of that."

"And you can't forgive me for seeing it first, can you?"

"No." The word emerged starkly uncompromising. "I can't."

"Happens all the time," Han muttered.

"I told Altra it was all off. I even said I didn't love her any more but she didn't believe me. I had to tell her the truth in the end. I had to tell her that I was going on the run like the Rebels. She loved me enough to marry me and then come all the way out here to join me."

"She's strong," Han commented quietly. "If she hadn't loved you she wouldn't have given up everything like that."

"I saw the second Death Star destroy the planet Despayre. It was appropriately named. They used prisoners from a penal colony there to do most of the labouring. Most of them were slaves and hadn't done anything wrong. There was even a Wookiee colony there. I thought about you and Chewbacca." The last sentence emerged unwillingly. He'd often thought about his harsh treatment of Solo because of his decision to save the Wookiee. Now Feenus realised how much he regretted everything.

"And then?" Han prompted.

"And then, they blew the place to gravel. The _whole_ planet."

"That's what they did to Alderaan just to demonstrate the firepower."

"Yeah! That was the first time I actually believed what had really happened."

"Dead men tell no tales," Han commented obliquely.

"These poor wretches never even had a chance."

"Typical Imperial procedure. Leave no witnesses to the atrocity. I've seen it many times but there are enough eyewitnesses around for Alderaan – my wife for one." Han pulled the collar up on his coat. "So you deserted."

"You guessed it. Right before everything blew up at Endor I got into a shuttle and selected a random point on the navacomp. Oh, I tried to tell myself it was the best thing. These were criminals, aliens, sub-sentient species but I couldn't fool myself any longer. So, yes, I deserted. Unfortunately it took me several weeks to find out that everything had changed. That the Emperor was dead, the fleet in total disarray and my life with it."

"You still had Altra."

"Thankfully. We met as planned on an out of the way planetary spaceport – I can't even remember where it was now - and she was able to tell me what had happened. Of course I then realised that there wouldn't be anyone left to come chasing after me. No one had any idea who was dead and who was alive. I was free and yet I wasn't."

"If you'd been at Endor you would probably have been killed. Very few Imperial ships present at the battle survived intact. I _was_ there."

"Thought you might have been." The bitterness in his voice returned.

"There would have been a hell of a lot more deaths if that second planet killer had been unleashed."

"I know." 

A chirruping sound rang close by. Han jerked around, his hand going automatically for his blaster.

Feenus delved into his pocket and brought out a small com device. Moving away from Han, he flipped it open. "Yes!"

"We have word that the comptroller is brokering a shipment."

"What," Feenus hissed. "Now?"

"Within the next few hours."

"This is not convenient."

"Who said this job was convenient?"

"I'm sorry but…"

"You still have 'guests?'"

"In a word, yes. And I don't like the way he's looking at me." Feenus could see Han glaring at him suspiciously.

"Who are your visitors?"

"One is an old friend from way back. The other…" Feenus took a deep breath. "The other is a Jedi."

"Interesting."

"Yeah, you could say that. He goes by the name of Han Solo."

There was a moment's silence on the other end of the comlink. "_The _Han Solo?"

"What other Han Solo is there?" Feenus whispered.

"Oh, he's with you."

"Yeah."

"Well, get rid of him and his Jedi friend or take him with you. He could be useful. We don't have much time."

"You're not kidding are you?"

"No, we'll probably need Altra too."

"Okay. We'll be there." Feenus sneaked a glance at Han over his shoulder and found his eyes narrowed and watchful. "Goodbye." He pocketed the comlink and tried to act casual but he could tell he wasn't fooling Solo. "You got everything?"

"I have." Han grinned maliciously and lazily tossed a thermal detonator in the air.


	7. Part 7

**The Emerald Price Chapter 7**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

****

**Disclaimer: **- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list.

**Elrood **

"We have to hurry," Feenus snapped, daring Han to mention anything more about his comlink conversation.

"Hurry?"

"I have things to do."

"Don't we all," Han muttered under his breath as he stowed the thermal detonator in one of his coat pockets. "Things that include me and the kid… I mean…" He stopped. "You want Corran and me along?"

"You heard."

"Of course I heard. I'm not deaf. The whole warehouse could probably hear. For a former Imperial soldier on the run, you've certainly lost the art of stealth. If you want to keep something a secret, that's not the best way to go about it." A smile crossed Han's face. "I never learnt that art myself."

Feenus almost laughed but instead covered it up with something that sounded like a snort. 

"So what are you up to?"

Feenus quickened his step away from the square and headed down one of the narrow twisting shop-lined alleyways.

Han kept pressing for information. "You're not alone. Altra's involved and there are other men…"

Feenus pressed his lips together firmly and said nothing.

"You were all wearing similar types of clothing," Han observed. "It wasn't Imperial uniform though."

"I'm no longer with the Empire, Solo. I told you the truth."

"So you say," Han's voice was patently disbelieving.

"I'm not with the Empire. Not after what they did."

"So who are you with?" Han almost snarled into the other man's face. "This is an organised group. This is not some rag-tag band of do-gooders."

Feenus glanced around furtively. "I can't tell you out here. Wait till we get back to my place. We'd better hurry."

"Yeah, I got a star ship to fix and an antsy Jedi to calm."

Feenus took the chance to change the focus of the conversation. Solo had the upper hand until now. "You're not on a pleasure jaunt either, are you?"

The Corellian however, was up to anything Feenus could throw at him. "Full marks, Captain Adremetis. No, I'm not on any _jaunt_. The kid… Corran," he carefully corrected himself, "is searching for a Jedi friend of his. She went missing out this way."

"Missing? A female Jedi?"

Han nodded. "Yes – they do exist. My wife is one, remember? But this Jedi is not a full Jedi, she works for an independent trading company…"

"You mean she works for a smuggler."

"I never said that. I suspect she may go full time as a Jedi if she comes through this and Luke has his way." Han guessed Luke would perhaps insist on this once she was restored to them. "You seem to know quite a bit about what goes on around here. Care to divulge some information?"

"Sure I know what goes on," he mumbled. "I've lived here for nearly twenty years but I'm not a captain. I told you."

"I'm all ears ready to hear more."

"Yeah, and you're not the only one," he said quietly, glancing around him. "We cannot talk here." He led Han into the little courtyard. "Altra and I live in this block."

"Nice."

***********************************

If Han thought he was in for a cosy little uninterrupted chat with his former buddy he was in for a disappointment. Altra was waiting for them as soon as they rang the announcer and she was clearly worried as she opened the door.

"It's…" she hesitated, and then lowered her voice. "…your Jedi friend. Something's wrong." 

"He's okay?"

"Physically he's fine but are you sure he's right in the head?" She tapped her own forehead. "We were chatting and then he…" She peered over her shoulder. "He went very… strange. I can't describe it."

"Sith!" Han swore quietly. "He's gone into a trance?"

"I don't think so. He just went deathly pale and started shivering and muttering his friend's name over and over to himself."

This bond Luke had admitted that he held with Mara Jade couldn't be that strong, could it?

"Han!" Luke burst out of the sitting room and grabbed hold of the Corellian's coat lapels. His face was flushed and he almost appeared feverish. It was a long time since he'd seen the Jedi Master panic and that was certainly what Luke appeared to be doing.

"Steady on, kid." 

"Mara's on her way," he said and released Han's coat, taking a step backwards, suddenly appearing to calm down.

Han sighed. "You sure?" He had to ask but the way Luke had been about Mara since she'd disappeared made his question redundant. Luke's eyes were bright with anxiety, his expression intense and Han could see the tension in every inch of his spare frame.

"Yes, I'm sure. But she's not in a good way. I think she's ill or drugged. She can't call to me – she feels heavy."

"We'll get her."

"Who's ill?" Feenus barked irritably.

"I told you, the er… kid here, was looking for a Jedi friend of his. He can sense when she's close. He thinks she's ill."

"I thought you said she wasn't on this planet," Altra murmured.

Luke's blue eyes grew opaque. "She's not here yet, but she's coming," he said almost dreamily.

"Kid." Han placed his hands on Luke's shoulders and shook him. "I don't need you slipping into a trance right this moment. You know I hate it when you do that – gives me the willies."

"What's wrong with him? Why has he gone like that?" Feenus demanded uneasily. The Jedi spooked him out.

"Kid. Come on, snap out of it," Han pleaded. "I know you're tired but we gotta lot to do yet. You're no help to Mara like this."

Luke lowered his head, took a deep breath and then lifted his chin, determination shining in his bright gaze. "I don't understand what's come over me," he confided in a low voice, keeping a watchful eye on Feenus and Altra. "Or maybe I do. But I suspect Mara's not in control of her emotions, or her shields and when she can, she's broadcasting those emotions with every bit of Force ability she possesses."

"She could hear the Emperor from any point in the galaxy," Han replied quietly. "I presume that meant the opposite too – he could hear her?"

"It must have done. As I said, she usually controls her mental shields better than this. In some ways this is exactly what I need to be able to locate her presence but it is rather disconcerting. I can see I'll have my work cut out trying to reinforce her shields. There are techniques you can use."

"I'll believe you, kid."

Unable to hear the low-voiced conversation between Han and the Jedi, Feenus gave his wife a nod and they both slipped back into the sitting room. "I need to talk to you."

"In the kitchen," Altra murmured. "I'll make you a caf, Han," she called loudly as she followed Feenus through to the small galley kitchen.

"Thanks," he called back. "Kid… Luke…" he hissed quietly as he saw Luke's eyes beginning to cloud over again.

The Jedi gave himself a shake and stared at his friend, his blue eyes troubled. "This is strange."

"You're telling me?"

"I just know she's coming here and she's close, Han… she's very close."

"Can we walk to it, or perhaps Adremetis has a speeder we can borrow?"

"That would do it," Luke said with a decisive nod. "We need to get to the _Falcon_ and I also think we should contact Talon."

"If you're sure?"

"I have his calling frequency. I think he is due to still be somewhere along the Rimma Trade Route. Well, he said that's where he was going to head. It's not too far from here. He had business on Malastare."

"Typical Karrde. Never misses a chance to do business."

"He wanted to come with us. I told him to wait and I would contact him when he was needed. It's better not to attract too much attention."

Han did a double take. "What was that, kid? 'Too much attention'?" He shook his head in disbelief. "Was that before you decided to start a war with the local swoop gang or after?"

The Jedi looked a little shamefaced at Han's barb. "Sorry."

"Yeah! So you should be. Come on - we'll need to get back to the _Falcon_ so we can contact the _Wild Karrde_."

"I think that Altra and Feenus have a very powerful com unit in this apartment."

"You do, huh."

"Well, I did take a quick scout around when I had to visit the 'fresher. There's one in what I suppose is the study. It has quite a range."

************************

Altra closed the kitchen door. "What?"

Feenus lowered his voice. "Beridor contacted me. There's another meeting set up."

"Another meeting?"

"A private sale."

"But these are worth few jewels these days."

"The comptroller is involved. That makes it different. We need to get someone inside that meeting. I can disrupt the open sales until dewbacks sprout wings and for what? A few pathetic life forms which are worth little to the syndicates. Somehow these meetings set up deals which involve thousands. How are they managing to move so many without more notice being taken?"

"I don't know." Altra's brow furrowed. "We failed the last time we tried and lost several good men. I don't want to lose you too."

"You know I'm careful but I have to stop more innocent lives being ruined. Beridor thinks he has someone who can get us inside."

"Oh." Altra mechanically started making caf, her hands trembling. "Feen…" she began.

"What?"

"The Jedi…"

"What about the Jedi?"

"He thinks his lost friend has been captured by the slavers. He went all peculiar about five minutes ago."

"I could see he wasn't quite right. He went all flushed as if he had a fever."

Altra nodded. "Take a look at him now – he's gone as white as a Given's exoskeleton."

Feenus peered over his shoulder but couldn't see the Jedi or Han who were still standing in the entrance hall.

"Up until then he was worried but appeared to be as normal as you or I."

"The Jedi are not normal but… Five minutes ago? That was about the time Beridor contacted me to say there was a meeting set up."

"I wondered if there could be any connection between that and the Jedi. There's more."

"Don't be…" Feenus broke off what he was saying. "There's _more_?"

Altra hesitated but then pressed on. She didn't keep secrets from her husband. "The Jedi – he's not called Corran Horn."

"He's not?" Feenus scowled as understanding hit him. "Of course he's not. How could I be so blind? There's only one Jedi that travels with Solo and that's…"

"Luke Skywalker." The Jedi stood at the door, his face impassive. He appeared to have recovered his equilibrium. "We need your help."

"You need our help? I've heard that one from your brother-in-law. How much did you hear, Jedi?" Feenus spat.

"Most of it," Luke admitted. "I had to see if you could be trusted. You didn't give away very much but you are very knowledgeable about the habits of the slavers in this sector. It could only mean one of two things. You either worked for them or against them."

Altra finished making the caf and pushed a mug into her husband's hands. "Here."

Luke's voice was confident as he continued. "I guessed it was the latter from what your wife has said about you and from a general reading of your character. Plus, the rescue attempt out in the square. You are involved in fighting the slavers."

"Yes," Altra admitted. "But we are a small number and lack resources. We do what we can. We've given a few their freedom – but not enough. The government on this world is corrupt and ineffectual. There's no help there – they do nothing."

"This is quite a turn around, Feenus," Han drawled as he walked in to join them. "You must have had an overactive conscience."

"You gave it to me," the other man bit out frostily, still not happy with the whole situation. "I didn't want to feel like this but what can I do?"

"Re-acquire some of that stealth. Sure, you can deal with a bunch of swoopies. Hell! Luke did that on his own. But when they send their real heavies after you – what are you going to do then?"

"Survive."

"What about the New Republic? Have you asked for their help?" wondered Luke.

"They don't know much of what happens out here. How are we to tell them?" Altra asked softly. "We're unimportant – just a small group and it's so far away."

"It's closer than you think and we're here," Luke answered. "My sister and Han have a lot of influence with the New Republic government, as do I. We cannot tell them what to do but we can advise them of a situation and they do listen to us. The New Republic, as you know, treats all sentient species as equals. I would presume that some of the worlds out here would like the security of an affiliation with the New Republic."

"Not bad, kid. I didn't think you were into politics."

"I'm not really. I'm more into helping people, mediating disputes and teaching the next generation of Jedi. If a little politicking slips in then that's the way it is."

"You know me and how I feel about slavery, Feenus. We can't solve the whole problem for you in an instant. I don't want you thinking that could happen. My problem is my other commitments. A short while ago you called me 'general'. I have responsibilities and ties to the New Republic. I don't want you to think I'm offering help and then abandoning you." Han glanced at Luke. "I think I know some people that could help - some of the Rogues or even the Wraiths if they don't have a set job just now?"

"I think the Rogues are tied up somewhere," Luke said. "Wedge doesn't want Iella out in the field just now because there's another baby due."

"There is?" Han's face brightened. "That's wonderful. How come I didn't know?"

"I thought you did." Luke pursed his lips. "What about Elscol?"

"You, kid, are a genius. Elscol Loro and Sixtus Quin would be perfect."

"Iella knows where they are as does Wedge," Luke added.

"What?" Feenus was confused. "Who?"

Han grinned. "We're giving you the names of some people who can help. Expert guerrilla fighters – they liberate worlds. Or aid those who need to be liberated."

"We'll bring pressure to bear on the Inner Council of the New Republic too. It might not be as quick as you want but it's a start.

"Thank you," Altra said, glancing at her chrono. "Any help at all is wonderful but we have to get going."

"I need to get in to where Mara is being kept - that is, if the slavers have her."

Han nodded. "If we can find out where it is. You can help us do that. Can you get us inside?

"Not at this meeting. He picked a dark cloak and handed it to Altra. Feenus began to explain. "We call him the comptroller. He's actually a former Imperial General. Nasty piece of stuff."

"Who is he?" Han asked.

"General Ishyori Raitt."

"Oh, him." The Corellian swore under his breath but the word sounded like 'bastard'.

"I agree," Feenus said bluntly. "He is a bastard."

"After the Empire fell he managed to come out here and set himself up with a nice little earner. He worked for Grand Moff Tarkin and was therefore familiar with the area and his methods."

"I suspect he already had his little operation on the go long before Endor," Altra said.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Han agreed. "I didn't actually know the man but I heard plenty about him. None of it was good."

"He's bringing together all the independent slavers into a sort of syndicate. We've managed to gatecrash a couple of his little get togethers and buy some beings their freedom. Eventually we would like to destroy him and his  'little operation'."

"Just like that?" Han asked.

Altra looked confused. "I thought you would understand."

"I do," he said reassuringly. "But it isn't going to be that simple. Buying back the slaves may gain one or two of them their freedom but ultimately you are feeding the system."

Feenus scowled. "I never expected it to be simple. It is a lifetime's work. Raitt has a very exclusive client list. Selling one slave to someone in the street doesn't make him the jewels we're sure he has. Spice mine operators, factory owners - people who need slaves in large quantities – they pay big. We want to disrupt that little operation. We don't have the money to buy back many beings and you're right. It is adding to the problem."

Altra's grey eyes clouded over. "But what can you do when a mother is taken away from her child?"

"Like Tayo," Luke breathed sadly.

"Like Tayo," Altra echoed. "Unfortunately we were too late to help Tayo and his mother. She'll be long dead by now. So we try to help others."

"If you can help us get into the meeting to see if Luke's Jedi friend is part of a deal, we will make sure the New Republic starts applying the pressure when we get back. We can't stay around but we promise to see you get help as soon as we can."

"Done."

Luke gave a strained smile. "We give you our word. My word as a Jedi holds true."

Feenus shrugged. "I believe you. After all, he gave up his whole career to help free enslaved Wookiees."

"I have an idea," announced Luke.

"Ah, kid… Is that wise?"


	8. Part 8

**The Emerald Price Chapter 8**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

****

**Disclaimer: **- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list.

**The Wild Karrde, Eriadu Spaceport**

"Sir!" 

Talon Karrde lifted his head and stared at the young Bothan he'd recently taken on as part of his crew. "Yes, Mi'syr?"

"There's a com call for you. It's from Elrood."

"Elrood?" he echoed thoughtfully. "Who would be contacting him from there? "Who was…?" And then he knew. "I'm on my way."

He moved swiftly to his office and had the call rerouted from the com-centre. "Karrde." He spoke his name clearly and waited as the picture coalesced into the recognisable features belonging to Han Solo. Ah! So Leia had not let her brother go on this venture on his own. She'd sent Han as backup.

"Good… whatever time of day it is with you, Talon," Han greeted the smuggler with a forced grin.

"Problems?"

"The usual." Han shrugged. "Why can't I fly somewhere without somebody trying to crush me into a cube?"

"They've met you?" Karrde quipped.

Han gave him a glare and then sighed. "Maybe. Pirates nearly shot us down as we entered the system. Thanks to the Kid and some fancy flying on my part we got away with minimal damage. The _Falcon's _grounded for a day or so until I can fix her. Shields are fried again."

Karrde's pale eyes narrowed. "You've not found Mara then?"

Han shook his head. "No, unfortunately not, but we have our suspicions of her whereabouts."

"You do?"

"Well, _Luke _has his suspicions, to be more accurate. You might recall that he can sense when another Jedi is close. He's sure she's in this sector."

"That's still not going to be easy. You're almost on the edge of Wild Space. There are hundreds of worlds where she could be.

"I know, but Luke says he will find her."

"That figures. He knows her best and if he thinks Mara is close – then she probably is."

"Yup, he's been a bit strange about it but quite definite. We think she got picked up by a party of slavers."

"Mara! Caught out by a bunch of two-credit…"

"These slavers have been well-organised into syndicates. Slavery is now illegal in most other parts of the galaxy. I don't think that creed has reached the Outer Rim yet. The best slaving syndicates will be in that area – you know this."

"_Stang!"_ Karrde swore softly. "Is he sure? I mean – I can't quite see Mara being captured so easily."

"We don't know how easy it was. If that's what has happened."

"True. The Outer Rim is still as lawless as ever."

"You never thought it was anything else," Han retorted. "That's why you do so much business this end of the galaxy. The New Republic still has no visible presence out here – it's too far away from the Core Worlds. When we first secured Coruscant we didn't have the ships or personnel to involve the Outer Rim. I did wonder if it was time to start leaning on the ruling governments in this sector. The Council may want to send a delegation out this way."

"Possible."

"Luke assumes you have a base in the area and would like it to have a proper medic. He says Mara is unwell and will need treatment."

"None of my bases out here have top-flight medicentres. They all have proper medical droids. The two-one-B…" He paused. "Wait-a-minute – how does he know she's unwell if he doesn't know exactly where she is or what's happened to her?"

"Jedi thing apparently. He just does." 

"Of course."

Han moved away and Talon could hear him talking with someone in the background. "Is Luke there – can I speak to him?"

Han called his brother-in-law. Luke had slumped into one of the comfortable armchairs in the lounge, his head cradled in his hands. Han could see how tired he was by the slump in his shoulders. He sighed deeply. Luke was pushing himself too hard again. "Go and speak to Talon, kid."

Luke nodded and wearily wandered through to the immaculately kept Adremetis' study. He slid into the seat that Han had vacated and tried to appear more upbeat. "Talon, how are you?" His voice sounded unnaturally bright.

"I'm well, Luke. You look tired."

'_Damn! _Luke thought. '_Shoulda known Karrde was too clever to fool.' _"I am tired, but that doesn't matter."

"What's happened to Mara, Luke? Han's only told me so much."

"We know very little. I think she's been picked up by slavers. They must have surprised her somehow. She's not unaware of the risks like some people are."

"No. That makes it all the more worrying. Han says she's sick."

"I get the feeling that she's sick or injured in some way – not sure how. I heard her call out to me and I can feel her presence strongly, so we must be close."

"But didn't you hear her call out to you when you were on Coruscant?"

"I don't think it's the same thing. It doesn't seem as far away and I am far more aware of her. She seems sluggish, disoriented and that's not Mara Jade. That's why I want her taken to the nearest medical facility as soon as we find her and we _will_ find her, Talon."

"That's never been in doubt, Luke, and I'm grateful. I could get there in the Wild Karrde pretty quickly. My business is all finished here and Mara is more important."

"Not enough time," Luke said gravely. "I can feel it. Are you still on Malastare?"

"No, I'm at Eriadu – a bit closer."

"I still don't think it's enough."

Karrde tugged at the goatee on his chin. "Czerip," he said finally. "One of my bases is there. It's half way between Elrood and Eriadu. I can get there in a day or so. If you manage to get Mara, go there. The facilities are basic - it's only ever used as a stopgap but it has a new medical droid."

"It will have to do. The _Wild Karrde_ has a very good sickbay, hasn't it?"

"I thought you'd been in it, Luke."

"If I haven't, it's the first one in the galaxy I've missed out on."

"Yes, your sister did say something about you having an affinity for bacta."

Luke scowled. "She likes to fuss." He straightened in his chair. "If she needs to be stabilised for the journey to Coruscant, it can be done at Czerip before you arrive and then the _Wild Karrde_ or the _Falcon _can get her to Coruscant if need be. I'm hoping she's not too badly hurt and that I'm just overreacting."

"I hope so too. But it is better to be prepared." Talon's look was serious. They both had been kicking around the seamier sides of the galaxy for many years and not many things surprised them any more. Especially the way beings could treat other beings. "How are you going to discover if she's been sold?"

"We bumped into someone Han knew long ago and they have this little organisation. They will help us get access to whoever we need to see."

"What kind of organisation?"

"Anti-slavery."

_"Anti-slavery?_" Karrde repeated. "Trust Solo."

"I need some information," Luke blurted out. "You're bound to be able to find out."

"Probably," Karrde commented warily. "I have many sources." When Luke related his request he whistled softly. "Yeah! I can get you that. When do you want the information?"

"Now" 

"_Now!"_ he echoed faintly. The Jedi Master continually surprised him.

"Yes." Luke was uncompromising. "I need it now. You'll be paid for any information you can give me and I'm sure you have what I need."

"If you get Mara back safely consider that my payment."

Luke gave him a strained grin. "Okay – if you're sure?"

"I am." Talon swivelled in his chair and Luke could hear him tapping commands into a computer. "This might do," he muttered. "Aha! This is the very thing - perfect." There was a buzz and a whirr and Talon turned back to face Luke. "Sending though some stats. You can copy it onto a datacard."

"Thank you. Copying now."

Karrde had to ask. "Luke – is this wise?"

"I haven't much choice. There's no way we can go in guns blazing and ruin the whole enterprise. We need people with much more authority."

"Are you getting cautious in your old age?"

You're not harking back to the Death Star. I didn't do that on my own. I can't say I like the idea but if it gets me Mara back, then it is worth it."

Karrde blinked. Luke was talking very possessively about his second-in-command and the idea that he'd thought about then discarded surfaced again in his mind. What did Luke Skywalker feel for Mara Jade? "

"I told you that we've been incredibly fortunate to meet this old colleague of Han's from the Imperial Navy…"

"The Imperial Navy? Luke, I don't like this either."

Luke waggled his head from side to side in a non-committal fashion. "I was taken aback at first but these are good people who are going to help us, although I think the information they can give is almost the sum total of their ability to help us do that. You've probably helped me more with that one transmission. I haven't revealed to Han what I'm planning to do yet."

"Just be careful."

"I'm always careful." 

"Okay, I'll believe you but that's not what your sister or Mara says."

"Yeah, sure." Luke's voice was wry. "Karrde?"

"Yes."

Luke's eyes darkened, his jaw firming with determination. "Could you get in touch with Lando? I want him meeting us off the ship at the spaceport on Coruscant. I don't care how good business is."

"Luke… About Lando…"

"If he is not there for Mara when she arrives on Coruscant I will personally vape him – dark side be damned."

"But Luke – Lando and Mara…"

"Just tell him that. We'll be in touch. Goodbye."

Talon was left frowning at a blank monitor. The Jedi Master had gone. "Goodbye," he muttered uselessly to no one. Surely Luke didn't still think that Mara and Lando's relationship was real? He had said to Mara she could tell Luke if she wanted to – obviously she hadn't. Talon groaned – he had gone out of his way to let the entire galaxy think Lando and Mara were a couple. Why should Luke believe any differently when Mara hadn't told him and why _hadn't_ she told him? Then it struck him that when Mara and Lando had been together, Luke had absented himself. This was a state of affairs he hadn't considered. He had to give the theory room to grow. 

The Jedi Master didn't want to see Lando Calrissian and Mara Jade together but would do anything to help Mara be with the man she loved. Luke Skywalker was in love with Mara Jade. Karrde groaned again.

***********************************

Luke wrapped his cloak around his body and followed the others out into the narrow street. The sky had darkened and the streetlights had come on, illuminating the surroundings, yet keeping the corners shadowy.

"This way," Feenus urged. "I have a transport."

Han noted a small, covered repulsorlift speeder in a parking lot next to the apartment complex. He guessed by its size that it would take about eight standard sized humans.

"We're meeting Beridor at the spaceport. He's my partner."

"You trust him?" Han was cautious as always.

"Totally."

"Good."

"We've been together for nearly fifteen years. A good man."

"He was a slave, wasn't he?" Luke guessed.

"How did you…?"

Han smiled in the darkness. So Feenus had also acquired something in the nature of a life debt – although not from a Wookiee.

Luke fidgeted in the back. He cursed his customary impatience. He hated waiting for something to happen. "You could drop us off at the _Falcon_ where we can start on the repairs."

Altra remembered suddenly and turned to face Luke. "You said you had a plan."

Luke pulled a data pad from his pocket and slipped in a data card. He perused the contents thoughtfully before staring at Altra. "I do, but it depends on how much you can find out at this meeting and I also must get back to the ship. There are things I need there."

"What do you want us to find out?"

"The identities of the main players in whatever syndicate we're dealing with."

"That might not be easy."

"What are you up to, kid?" Han asked quietly.

"I'm going to become a rich lord or prince in need of a regular supply of slaves."

"We've tried that before," Feenus said dismissively.

"This will work," Luke insisted. "But tell them I want to inspect the merchandise personally."

"I'll see what Beridor says."

"No, just tell him that I need those identities." Luke was firm. "No questions – just do it."

"Why?" Altra's shrewd grey gaze warmed. Yes, this man was quite different from what she had expected the Jedi to be. 

"I am powerful, yet discreet. I will only deal with the slave lord himself. No underlings." There was an unconscious arrogance in Luke's bearing as if he had already started to become the wealthy prince. 

His brother-in-law saw again one of the few times that Luke resembled Leia. She could slip on her royal bearing like it was a well worn coat.

Luke held out a data card. "This is a data file containing information on Prince Aesophas of Mittenden IV."

"I've never heard of him," Feenus grumbled. "He doesn't exist."

Luke chuckled. "Oh, but he does. His world is only a system or two away from this one. It is a wealthy planet – rich in mineral deposits and natural resources. There is a huge potential market for slaves."

"He's real?" Altra asked.

"Yes, no point using an alias. They're bound to check. You may not have heard of him yet but in time you will. His family are wealthy and autocratic. They have been buying more and more holdings in this sector."

"Karrde give you the information?" Han enquired dryly.

Luke nodded.

Han grinned. "Then it's real."

Luke glanced at Feenus. "You and your friend set up the meeting. Han and I will visit the syndicate headquarters if they have any. If you can supply me with homing beacons and trackers I can place them at the scene when we are there."

"That sounds promising," Altra said. "You will ask the New Republic and also your less orthodox friends for their help?"

"Yes," Han answered. "I feel kinda bad for not staying for the whole haul…"

Feenus shook his head. "Don't. This is my life's mission."

"Sure, Feen, but we're not away yet. And please, don't make it your life. Altra needs you too – don't forget."

"I won't.

"Drop us off at the _Falcon," _Luke instructed.

Han gave him a look. "Yes, Rogue leader."

The transport stopped at docking bay 77. Han activated the boarding ramp and nipped quickly inside, his bag of spare parts clasped firmly in his hands.

"Come back for us in an hour," Luke said. "Will that be long enough?"

"Should be."

"Fine. See you then." Luke lifted his hand in farewell and then sprinted into the ship. He had a lot to do.

"Is he always like that?" Feenus asked as Luke's figure disappeared inside the _Falcon._

"Mostly," Han said. "He's either completely calm or totally hyper. There doesn't seem to be anything in between with Luke Skywalker. He's a good man. Where's the best place to meet you?"

"The Merry Pirate," Altra said, a twinkle lighting her grey eyes to silver.

"The Merry Pirate!" Han exclaimed. "I thought that place had been condemned."

A smirk twitched on the end of Feenus's mouth. "Still there. Owned by one of my people."

"Handy. I'll meet you there in about an hour."

"Right. See you then." Feenus said.

Han stared at his beloved ship. "Better go and see what's wrong with you, baby."

**********************************************

"Han!"

"Yeah!" The Corellian hadn't lost any time. He had already started to repair some of the ruined capacitors.

"Do you still have those fake beards and stuff from the last time we decided to infiltrate something we shouldn't have done and barely escaped with our lives?"

Han glared at him, hazel eyes glinting irritably. "Hell, kid. Did you have to phrase it quite like that?"

"Yeah. Just saying it like it is."

"That's what worries me. The answer to your question is yes."

"Where?"

"In the locker in the crew quarters."

"Fine and Han?"

"What!"

"Could I borrow some of the Hapan silk you got for Leia?"

"Whatever you want." Han wasn't really listening. "Just leave me to try and fix the ship. It's okay, baby," he soothed and patted the bulkhead affectionately. 

Luke rolled his eyes. 


	9. Part 9

**The Emerald Price Chapter 9**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

****

**Disclaimer: **- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list.

**The Merry Pirate, Elrood Spaceport**

Altra stared around at the dingy interior of the small bar. Shadowy figures lurked at tables in dark, half-lit corners, the patrons preferring to hide in the gloom rather than come forth and be seen. In any case, she didn't think the sun could penetrate the decades of grime encrusted on the windows. The bar didn't quite match its name. She wasn't sure if it ever had. They'd used it many times for their meetings. The Merry Pirate was a good place to find out who was in port – those that perhaps didn't want to advertise their whereabouts too openly. The more respectable beings visited establishments with better lighting. They had less to hide. 

The owner, she risked giving Mal'orch a slight nod, was one of their select group. He was the one who had alerted Beridor and Feenus to the news that the slaving syndicates were planning an important gathering. He tended bar and listened. He'd picked up many useful snippets of information that way.

The bar had once been owned by a notorious pirate and slaver until his rather unfortunate demise some ten years previously. When Jital had passed on, Beridor had gained his freedom. Jital had been a pirate, yes, but had been cruel and venal – certainly never merry. Beridor had gained his freedom when Feenus had killed Jital. She slipped her hand into that of her husband, giving it a comforting squeeze. Altra wasn't sure if the comfort was for herself or for him.

"Can you see Beridor?" Feenus whispered.

"Not yet," she answered.

"I think he's probably in the back room. Mal'orch usually lets him use it to get things prepared."

"I know that."

"Yeah, yeah," Feenus said dismissively. "I know you know that. He lets Beridor use it especially if there's a syndicate meeting."

"I know. To work on what we're going to do. We can't use our own com centre too often. We'll be traced but Mal'orch was trying to fix his one yesterday. It had developed a glitch."

"Not again."

"I think Beridor was trying to get it back up to full working mode. That's why he'll be through the back."

"Well, I need him here… now."

Altra gave the taciturn bar owner another swift glance. "What does Luke want us to do?"

"Drop hints that Prince Aesophas of Mittenden IV has come incognito to the planet to investigate the syndicates."

"Has he now?" Altra marvelled.

Feenus couldn't see her face as it was hidden under a voluminous hooded cloak but he could hear the smile in her voice. "He has." 

"This Prince – he's a big, important type - with plenty of jewels to spread around?" Her husky voice was mocking.

"What do you think, wife?" Feenus pulled a data pad from his pocket and slid a card into the slot. "Apparently the Prince has recently inherited some rather lucrative Tellen mines from his uncle." He had rapidly scanned the information Luke and Han had given him.

"And he happens to require cheap labour to work those mines," she continued for him wryly.

"You guessed it. According to the data Luke's friend sent to him, the prince is rather reclusive but has been known to disguise himself and walk among us lesser beings."

"He's not actually here, then?"

"Nope. It could make things a little awkward if he was. Imagine _two _princes of Mittenden IV wandering around Elrooden Spaceport. According to the data he is at present preparing himself to marry an extremely wealthy duchess from his neighbouring planet – Mittenden V. Luke has good sources because this is top-secret…"

"Top secret!" Altra interrupted. "So how did _you _know?"

"I didn't but I got in touch with a couple of guys on Mittenden V who owe me bigtime – just to confirm for myself. They have sources who are in the know and backed up the story. Plus, I don't think Skywalker would wander into a situation without checking the facts. He's pretty well-connected and must have excellent sources of his own being the Jedi Master."

"You would suppose so," Altra answered thoughtfully.

"The marriage will take place _before_ some of the other worlds have time to protest."

"And they will protest?" Altra asked.

"Apparently. Mittenden III has several noble families with suitable daughters. I am now quite an expert on the matches of the ruling classes in this area."

"Just from reading that pad? Fascinating. Your skills are boundless." Altra gingerly sipped from a glass of cloudy looking lum. "Political dynastic intrigues will never go away. I used to see it happen all the time on Coruscant and that was when Palpatine's grip on power was almost absolute."

"Obviously the grip of the Emperor slipped," Feenus quipped darkly. "Even out here, there are still alliances and mergers to be made." 

She never failed to marvel at her husband's ability to read a datapad so quickly and take in the information almost immediately. He'd been a brilliant Imperial officer and had seemed destined for an impressive career. But he had given it all up for his principles and despite all the hardships; Altra didn't regret a single thing. She was glad that he had done so. 

"The noble families protect themselves in the time-honoured way." 

"Yeah! I wonder how Solo managed to get by all of that. His wife was the last Princess of Alderaan and a leader in the New Republic government. They were allowed to marry so easily!"

"I suppose with her family all being killed on Alderaan, apart from her brother, she was a free agent. Plus, I think she'd been sleeping with Han for a good few years and therefore had made her choice." 

"Trust Solo!"  Feenus' voice was still bitter.

"What's wrong now? I thought you'd talked things over with Han?" Altra questioned carefully. "I was hoping you'd come to some sort of agreement."

"We did - up to a point - but nearly twenty years of ill-feeling doesn't vanish immediately. I don't know if I can ever truly be friends with him again. I trust him and yet I don't."

"You've been angry with him for a very long time. It's difficult to change that feeling overnight. At least the pair of you _are_ attempting to be civil to one another now. It's progress."

"We were that bad, huh?"

"Worse."

"You know what I'm like."

"I know what you're like. You're both as bad as each other."

Feenus scanned around the room. "Come on, Beridor," he muttered. "You're late."

A tall thin man dressed in a cloak like Altra's came from directly behind Feenus and slid into the seat opposite the Adremetis'. "I know I'm late." He pushed his hood back; a thin, almost skeletal face peered at them through large black eyes. Beridor was only part human but didn't know what his other part was as he'd been raised in the orphanage on a poor drifter colony – he had no memory of his parents. The orphanage had done their best and he'd been happy there until the slavers had moved in. Most of his peers were dead or working in horrible conditions. Beridor wouldn't rest until he had rescued as many as he could – until slavery had been halted forever and he knew that would never happen.

"You are very late. We've been here for twenty minutes," Feenus grumbled.

Altra shook her head as she checked her chrono. "Fifteen."

"Long enough."

Beridor's gaze darted around the room, not betraying by the flicker of an eyelash he knew Mal'orch or one or two other of their people stationed at strategic entrances. "Where are Han Solo and the Jedi?"

"Fixing Solo's ship," Feenus grunted. "Pirates shot it up."

"The Jedi has a plan," Altra said, unwilling to name the Jedi Master yet.

"Jedi in this part of the galaxy again. It sounds good to say it." Beridor grinned, showing uneven yellow teeth.

"I'm not so sure…"

"You're just letting your Imperial training cloud your mind. It is a _good_ thing." Beridor's voice was positive.

Feenus handed over the data pad and the humanoid scanned its contents before handing back the pad. He ran his fingers through wispy black tufts of hair and pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I can see this working. It would certainly give us more information. We need as much as we can. No point losing more people."

"No," Altra choked out. The last raid had been a disaster. They'd been outmanoeuvred and outmanned. The result was that two of their best personnel had died. They had been more than colleagues – they'd been friends.

Beridor's dark eyes were stricken. "You're right. We owe it to Jiss and Focx not to mess up again."

There was a brief moment of silence as they remembered their fallen comrades. Beridor was the first to break the stillness. "Solo and his Jedi companion are looking for a woman friend?"

Altra nodded and held out a copy of the holo Luke had shown her. "She's one of the Jedi."

Beridor's eyes widened and he whistled softly. "If I'd know they had Jedi that looked like that, I would have joined the order myself. What a stunner!"

"She's called Mara Jade." Altra could still see Luke's face as he'd gripped the frame of the holo with something approaching near desperation. "Han's Jedi friend is sure she's been taken by slavers."

"She is very beautiful," Feenus admitted. He reached out and squeezed Altra's hand. "Almost as beautiful as my wife."

Altra nearly fell off her chair. She knew he loved her but he rarely showed her such affection publicly. She gave him one of her warmest smiles, tears not far from her grey eyes. But now was not the time to get overly sentimental.

Beridor stared at the holo. "When did she go missing?"

"Solo's not sure, but thinks about a month ago."

Beridor's voice was dispassionate. "Then we're probably too late, although there hasn't been much movement during the last lunar cycle." 

Feenus nodded. "They must be waiting for this meeting."

"I can only assume that's the case. Or…" Beridor's piercing black eyes narrowed slightly.

"Or what?"

"I have heard reports of the Leptas virus being on the go on Aaris III, Kidron and Derilyn…"

"As if Derilyn hasn't suffered enough…"

"It can be cured if caught in time. If we've heard that it's spreading, then it hasn't been caught. The weak are always the most at risk - the elderly and the young."

"We should all be up to date with our inoculations," Altra pulled out a pad and began scrolling down through the information. "Yes, we're all covered."

"Have we spare tracking devices?"

Feenus patted one of the bulging pockets of his coat. "I picked up some at the warehouse when I was there with Solo."

"Good." Beridor nodded. "And now, I guess we wait for your friend to show himself."

"He's not my…"

Altra levelled her steady grey gaze on that of her husband. "He _is_ your friend. Enough nonsense. I know how you feel but you have to put that aside and trust him."

"I told you, I do trust him – sort of." Feenus sighed wearily but his wife was right and he knew it. He lowered his voice. "Okay - Skywalker's plan…"

"_Skywalker!_" Beridor's face showed his surprise as he interrupted Feenus. "We get the Jedi Master himself? You never told me it was Skywalker."

"_Ssh!_ We do," Feenus growled. "It's one of _his_ Jedi after all, so he comes to find her. He's a Jedi, not a superbeing…"

"I thought the Jedi _were_ superbeings," Beridor interrupted.

"He seems fairly normal… I think," Altra murmured. "He looks normal."

Feenus huffed and leant forward across the table. "Okay, he's as normal as a Jedi can get. Now, about his plan." He leant forward placing his elbows on the table. "Does the name 'Prince Aesophas of Mittenden IV' activate any high frequency beeps?"

"I've heard of him."

"You've heard of him?" Altra exclaimed. "Feenus hadn't heard of him."

"Enough to be very glad that I wasn't employed by his family."

"He may not be like his family," Altra protested, always ready to look for the good in others.

Beridor snorted in disgust. "From what I've heard – he's worse."

"Oh! His family – not nice then?"

"No, not what I would term 'nice'," Beridor mocked.

"I didn't know," she retorted indignantly and pushed back her hood a little staring at some information on her datapad. "Normally the Mittendens don't deal in this sector," Altra commented with surprise, reading the data Karrde had sent to Luke. 

Beridor nodded. "I had heard that they liked to deal nearer home."

Feenus shrugged lightly. "Skywalker's information states that Aesophas has inherited some mines from an uncle and needs fresh workers."

"And has he?" Beridor wondered aloud.

"Apparently, yes."

"Good. First rule of pulling off a con operation. Keep as near to the truth as possible."

"We have to wait until Solo enters and then get near to Prebs or Solpar and start muttering on about him being Prince Aesophas's man."

"One of them should pick up on it."

Altra tucked the datapad securely into a pocket in her tunic. "Mal'orch pointed out a couple of Raitt's guys."

"Where?"

"Table nearest the bar," Feenus said.

Beridor picked up his own glass of cloudy lum, giving the room a casual scan. "Looks like Vreet and Carn."

Feenus pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Ah! That's who they are. I wondered. I thought they looked familiar. I don't see Stefft."

"Hasn't been in here for a while," Altra commented.

"No, he hasn't." Feenus peered over Altra's shoulder and a familiar face caught his eye. "Prebs is nursing some impressive bruising to his jaw."

"Prebs?" Beridor echoed.

"You know him, Tharakan's operative. Weedy little guy in that horrible beige tunic - looks as if it hasn't seen cleaning solution in a long time. Stefft is higher up in the ranks but he doesn't talk as much."

"Of course, I know Prebs." He gave a silent whistle as he caught sight of the man's badly swollen face. "I just didn't recognise him under all that bruising. Do you think one of his captives got a little friendly?"

"More likely he just got into a fight."

"I could talk to Prebs," Beridor muttered. "He will tell me what's going on for the price of a few jewels. He thinks I want to get into the business," he gave a derisory laugh. "If he only knew. I've been in the business - as a commodity."

"Han should be arriving shortly," Altra said.

Beridor grinned. "I'm looking forward to meeting him."

***********************************

**The _Millennium Falcon_**

****

Luke picked at the lock on the storage cabinet. Han had locked it and then forgotten the combination. "Oh, to hell with it," he muttered and waved his hand. The cupboard sprang open, the door gaping wide. Mara would have words with him about using the Force in such a trivial fashion. He told his students the exact same thing. But he didn't have time to waste picking the lock. What would the galaxy say if they knew that the oh, so respectable Jedi Master could pick locks? There was a lot the galaxy didn't know about Luke Skywalker. In fact, Luke was beginning to wonder if he knew himself as well as he thought he did.

The smile on his face faded. "We're coming, Mara," he whispered, sending it out through the Force but, if she heard it, she gave no reply. "Just hold on, Mara - please hold on."

"Luke!" Han's voice echoed through the ship.

"Yeah," he answered, raising his own voice enough to be heard.

"Did you get into the locker?"

"Of course, I did. Although, it would have been easier if you hadn't forgotten the combination. Old age, I guess."

"Watch your mouth, kid."

"You needing some help?"

Han appeared in the door to the crew quarters a hydrospanner clutched in his oil-stained hand. "Nah! Nearly finished."

Luke blinked. "That was quick. I thought it might take the rest of the day to refit. You told Karrde the _Falcon _was down for at least another day."

"Good quality parts – easy to replace and you saved us from being totally wrecked."

"I helped," Luke said firmly. "You did some mean flying out there, Han."

"Did what I had to do." Han watched carefully as Luke began applying a white creamy looking lotion to his face. "What's that for?"

"It should make my skin paler – almost white. I have to try and resemble the prince."

Han pulled a face. "Glad you're only pretending to be him and that I don't have to meet him. Never trusted those pasty types. You've not got a lot of colour at the moment, kid, and you're making yourself even paler. Not enough time in the sun in my opinion but the colour you're puttin' on..." He shuddered. 

"I'm never going to be as tanned as I was on Tatooine."

"Maybe not. We're not exactly anonymous are we?"

"Here." Luke handed Han another bottle but this one was darker in colour. "This will darken your skin and, no, we're not anonymous but we will be, or rather, you will be."

"Great." Han eyed the sludge like fluid in the bottle with disgust. "I hate puttin on this stuff. I don't know how Leia can stand it every time she goes to a fancy do."

"She's female," her brother retorted.

Han grinned. "She's that all right. Fake beard?"

"In that box." Luke slid the box along the floor. He grabbed fixative and a rather impressive blond moustache and beard.

"What does this Aesophas guy look like?" Han asked attaching a wispy black goatee to his chin. "Wouldn't a Force disguise have been easier?"

"Maybe, but I can't do two of us for any length of time and I get the feeling that I'll need all my concentration… I would try another beard, Han. You still look too much like yourself."

Han glanced into the reflector. "Yeah, so I do." He pulled off the wispy piece of facial hair and rummaged in the bag for something more concealing.

Luke scrabbled on his bunk for a data pad and thumbed it on, passing to Han. "Aesophas looks like this."

"By the misshapen moon of Kessel, that's some resemblance… or it will be. Not bad at all, kid. I'm impressed."

"I hope its enough."

Han nodded and set to work altering his own appearance. He pulled on a dark wig, the hair longer than he had ever worn his, and with the new beard totally hiding the shape of his face, he looked quite unlike himself. He pulled on the dark grey coat Luke had laid out for him and turned to see if the Jedi Master had finished with his own disguise. Han's mouth dropped open. "Well, I'll be…"

It wasn't Luke who stood before him. It was Prince Aesophas of Mittenden IV or as near as damn it, wrapped in swathes of scarlet and gold Hapan silk. Somehow he'd wound it around his body and fashioned some of the cloth into a coiled turban, a glittering green jewel fixing it in place just above the centre of his pale forehead.

"Your Royalness!" Han bowed, his hand sketching circles in the air.

"Good job you had a lot of this material, Han," Luke's voice sounded incongruous emerging from the appearance of a stranger.

"It's kinda obvious, kid."

"I need to be obvious. You need to be discreet as my former tutor and adviser who I usually ignore."

"I like that. I thought you hung on my every syllable."

"You really need to see someone about these delusions you keep having, Han, or should I say _Bohb Barattas_."

Han did a double take. "I beg your soon-to-be-royal pardon?"

"Bohb Barattas." Luke waited, stifling his grin.

"Couldn't you have found a better name than that, Kid?" He scowled and muttered the name under his breath.

"That's what his tutor-stroke-adviser is called."

"So he's real?"

"Oh, yes." Luke handed over a datapad and watched as Han read the few lines about his alias.

Han returned the pad to his brother-in-law and then affixed his gaze to the shining jewel on Luke's turban. "Is that rock real?"

"This?" Luke touched the glittering bauble and chuckled. "No, It's as fake as we're going to be. I found this in the cargo bay. It came from a dressing up toy crown belonging to your daughter."

"That's from Jaina's princess set?"

"Yup."

"You'd better not lose that. It's worth far more than a real one. She won't be very pleased with you if it's not back in her crown by the time we get home.

"Okay, it will be, I promise. Jaina can be quite fierce when angry. She's especially like her mother at those times." Luke picked up his lightsaber and stared at it.

"What's wrong, Luke?"

"It's my saber. I'd better carry it concealed." He lifted up the material covering his chest and attached his saber inside the silk. "You head to the Merry Pirate. Feenus and Altra's friends are going to become my security force when I emerge in about half an hour.

"Right." Han began loading his pockets with ammunition, spare blaster packs and the thermal detonators and smoke bombs he'd purchased at the warehouse. Into his thigh holster went his favourite blaster. "Yup, I'm ready."

******************************************

**The Merry Pirate**

The door slid open with a pained groan and the figure of a man lurched inside. Feenus sat up. The click on his com told him it was Solo but he would have known that lurching walk from their days back at the Imperial Academy. They'd spent many an evening breaking curfew and sampling the delights of the nearest hostelries.

"That's him," he hissed.


	10. Part 10

**The Emerald Price Chapter 10**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

****

**Disclaimer: **- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course the lovely Mona. Where would I be without her checking skills?

**Klaz Kasino Hotel, Systra**

Lando rolled over and stared at the ceiling. For a number of nights he had found slumber hard to come by - he felt guilty. He glanced at the naked woman asleep beside him, her luxurious dark hair spread over the pillow. She was beautiful and willing and had made his nights in her bed well worth his time. Plus she had sold him her shares in her chain of casinos for a very reasonable price.

He didn't feel guilty about bedding Vari – no, not at all. It had been a most enjoyable experience. Vari was extremely… flexible. She'd been a dancer in the premiere Klaz Kasino until she'd caught the eye of the owner. It was Vari who had encouraged her husband to expand the chain until it included luxury resorts. No, Lando's guilt stemmed from the look of barely concealed disdain on the face of Talon Karrde as he'd let him know about Mara's vanishing act. Karrde knew what he was up to and who with and despised him because of it. Normally he didn't let a little thing like conscience get in the way of his decision making skills.  But this time he wondered if he had been wrong. Maybe the smuggler chief had been right; perhaps he should have gone with Mara.

He had thought he wanted a relationship with her although he was beginning to wonder if it was worth all the hard work. The ease with which Vari Klaz had tumbled eagerly into his bed had been pleasantly surprising. Lando desired Mara – but he knew that he didn't love her. He remembered Karrde's words. _"To win Mara Jade, Calrissian, love is what you will need." _Whoknows? He wasn't even sure if Mara believed in love – at least he didn't think that she did. Regardless, he never wanted to hurt her.  He certainly did not want her to get into any trouble because he failed to go with her. 

Pushing back the covers he swung his feet to the floor and stood up without disturbing his sleeping companion, stretching silently. He moved to the ensuite 'fresher and fumbled for the light switch. Lando squinted at his suddenly too bright reflection in the mirror. He didn't much like the guilt he was feeling right now. But how could he have given up this opportunity to expand his business holdings? Deals like this didn't come along every day and if he had waited, he would have lost his chance. He just couldn't have left right then.

Luke had gone after Mara instead. Once the Jedi had found her using the Force they were both so strong with, then Lando would find some way to make it up to her. He'd heard nothing from Karrde except that single com call and that was nearly two weeks ago. Surely, by now they'd found her.  Why hadn't Karrde let him know that Mara was safe?

"Lando?" Vari's throaty voice called.

"I'm in the 'fresher," he replied. Lando smoothed his moustache with long brown fingers and grinned at his face in the mirror. Yeah, he'd make it up to Mara when Luke brought her home. "Coming, Vari." He clicked off the light and walked purposefully into the bedroom. 

She was sitting up in the bed, the sheet wrapped around her chest, her dark eyes glittering in the light from a small lamp. "I was beginning to feel lonely," Vari murmured.

"I thought you were still sleeping, but here you are awake and ready for me. We can't have you feeling abandoned, can we?" Lando slipped into the bed and dipped his head towards her, his mouth covering the lush red lips that pouted so invitingly.

Vari's arms curved around Lando's smooth brown shoulders, drawing him close, letting out a gasp as his hand teased her nipple to aching fullness.

"No, we can't have you feeling lonely," Lando repeated as he kissed her deeply. "We…!

His comlink suddenly interrupted their lovemaking. "_Stang_!" Lando exclaimed.

"Ignore it," Vari urged him trying to kiss him, rubbing her generous breasts against his firm chest.

"No, I can't. It could be important." Lando slid out of bed and walked to his jacket and retrieved his com. He didn't want to say that it could be Karrde calling about Mara. The guilt he had tried to shelve came back gnawing at his senses.

"What could be more important than us?" Vari rolled on to her back and gazed moodily at the ornately carved ceiling of her suite. 

"Someone knows I'm here. That is important. I wanted to keep our time together exclusive. Soon everyone in the galaxy will know that I have bought your late husband's business. Let that and us be private for a little while longer. I am enjoying just spending the time with you. For someone to know where I am means it is serious." 

"But Lando…"

"I'll get rid of them, I promise."

Lando switched the device on and quickly stifled a curse. "Karrde!" he hissed. "Don't you know that it's the middle of the night on Systra…? Yes, I know…" He threw a look at Vari. She gave a petulant sigh, got out of the bed and stalked to the 'fresher. She'd been married to a business man and knew what that particular look meant. '_Leave me alone, this is not for your ears.' _

Lando couldn't help himself; he leered at her naked body as she passed him by and gave her a tender pat on her magnificently curved rear. Vari Klaz was all woman and generous with what she had. She speared him with a disdainful glare from her beautiful dark eyes and disappeared into the 'fresher. After a moment of silence he heard the bath being run.

Lando sighed. "Yes, I'm alone now. Where's Mara? Has Luke found her yet? Is that why you contacted me?

"Luke thinks he knows where Mara is."

"Good. I'll see her when they get back then," Lando said heartily.

"He thinks she may be injured."

"Injured! Not seriously I hope?" Lando's voice rose a little. He heard the bath water stop and heard the splash as Vari climbed into the sunken tub. A smile crossed his lips as he pictured her full breasts bobbing in the water, their proud rosy peaks covered with bubbles… "Of course, I'm listening, Karrde. I'm just a little distracted. What were you saying again? Luke said _what_!"

Karrde told Lando Calrissian succinctly exactly what the Jedi Master had said. _"If he is not there for Mara when she arrives on Coruscant I will personally vape him – dark side be damned."_

"Karrde, that sounds like a threat the way you're saying it," Lando protested. "My business…"

Karrde smiled coldly to himself as he interrupted. "I think that's exactly what it was. When we bring Mara home you'd better be there waiting or else. Luke doesn't care about your business. He wants you there for Mara. He thinks she will need you."

Lando heard the click and stood holding his now silent com. Biting back another curse; Lando threw the comlink on top of his clothes. Mara would be fine. She had Luke and Karrde to fuss over her she didn't need him as well. He finally managed to push his guilt away. This was the last time he got involved with anything outside his own business. From now on it would be number one all the way. He smiled and headed towards the fresher door. The hotel's baths were big enough to host a party and there was someone waiting for him to get that party started. He picked up the two glasses and the bottle of the hotel's best champagne chilling on a nearby table. Yes, time to look after himself.

*********************************************

**The _Wild Karrde_**

****

Talon Karrde heaved a sigh as he let the connection drop. Sometimes he didn't understand Lando Calrissian at all. He'd delivered Skywalker's message to the former Baron Administrator of Cloud City but part of him wondered if he shouldn't have told Luke the truth. For some reason Mara hadn't divulged the most important fact about her relationship with Lando – there wasn't one. The whole thing had been a sham - it was all pretence.

He pressed a switch on his desk. "Dankin!"

"Yes, boss."

"I want you to set a course for Czerip."

"Consider it done. Plotting co-ordinates now."

"Thank you." He clicked off and slumped back in his chair. He had a feeling that their problems were far from over.

************************************************

**The Merry Pirate**

It would be surprising if the cantina hadn't changed. Han tried to work out the last time he'd been inside the Merry Pirate. The bar was almost hidden in an archway between a couple of repair shops. He stared thoughtfully at the run down exterior. Some of the coloured lights announcing the name had long fizzled out and proclaimed in lurid pink and green that the place was called 'The Me—y P-rat-' instead. 

He grinned. It was Showtime. The kid and Mara Jade were counting on him again. He gave his blaster an affectionate pat and made his way to the doors. They slid open with a strange buzzing sound as if some of the motors were giving up. He relaxed his posture, let his shoulders slump and shuffled inside. For a moment the noise dipped. And Han sensed several pairs of calculating eyes gazing at his unprotected form. His fingers tightened on his blaster and he lurched to the bar.

"Lum," Han demanded thickly, peering up at the barman. Feenus had said this guy was a friend. He looked into the face of a square-jawed middle-aged man. 

Mal'orch rubbed his ear. The listening aid hidden above it had suddenly buzzed. Ah – this was the contact. He turned away, grabbing a glass and pouring a measure of cloudy yellow-green lum. "Here."

"Thanks," Han made to move away.

"You're new in port. Don't think I've seen you before?"

Han grunted. "Never been here before."

"Where you from?"

Han waved his arm vaguely almost knocking over his glass which Mal'orch managed to rescue. "I'm from somewhere out there."

"Know it well."

Han blinked owlishly – he had the appearance of a man who had visited several of the establishments in the spaceport that day. "I'm from… from…" He stopped. "Where am I from?"

"You tell me?"

"Mittenden IV. That's where. M'name's Bohb."

"Hi, Bohb. You on yer own?"

"Am now. Boss got fed up with me trying to tell him what to do."

Mal'orch was a patient man. If he just waited and asked the right questions, drunken beings would tell a surprising amount of their secrets. "He's the boss…"

Han shook his head slowly. "He just thinks he is. I'm his adviser. I am paid to advise him. He used to listen to me but now he's aware of who he really is. What's the use of having an adviser when he won't listen to any advice I give?"

"Difficult," said Mal'orch sagely.

"My boss." Han spat on the floor. "He's looking to meet people."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

Han's hazel eyes gleamed as he raised his voice a little. "I think it's too dangerous to meet the people he wants to meet but no, his royalness wants to check out the services for himself. I told him his father wouldn't like it but he told me to get lost. I have to tell the King…." Han swallowed a mouthful of lum and shuddered, the satisfaction easing through him almost visibly to anyone who might be watching. "I reckoned a bit of liquid courage might help but now I'm too drunk to care. I'm stuffed whichever way I turn. The king will punish me for not doing my job and 'His Magnificence' will punish me because I spoke to the king."

"A difficult position to be in. I'm sure you will decide on the correct course of action." Mal'orch was sympathetic. He found that the right amount of sympathy sold more lum. "What kind of services would your employer be looking for?"

Han weighed up his options. "I suppose you would know who to go to. You hear things working in a bar, right?"

Mal'orch nodded. "I certainly do."

"So you could help me and I wouldn't be in so much manure with his royalness - okay?"

"Who is 'his royalness'?"

Han gave a nervous look over his shoulder and then gulped down a mouthful of his drink. "I suppose it can't hurt to say." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "The boss is supposed to be in disguise but no, he's still wandering around like he owns most of Mittenden IV." Han gave a high-pitched drunken giggle of glee. "Oh, I forgot. He _does_ own most of Mittenden IV - and III and parts of V, too."

"He does?"

"Yeah, he does. Prince Aesophas…" Han slurped noisily at his lum. "Wants slaves," he hissed loudly smacking his lips together. "Worker slaves and one or two slaves with a certain . . . appeal, if you know what I mean." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Prince Aesophas heard that this place is where to find them."

"Slaves, eh?" Mal'orch also raised his voice.

Feenus, watching with Altra and Beridor, could have sworn that the conversation in the cantina dropped a little and Mal'orch's words rang out across the room.

  
"Well, what do you know!" Beridor's low voice was admiring as they saw Prebs and Vreet lift their heads, look at each other and inch closer to Han. "Mission accomplished. Your old navy pal is good at his job."

"Yes," Feenus said. "He is, but our mission will never be accomplished. Our true goals will take time."

"It will be worth it," Beridor whispered, the gleam in his dark eyes fervent.

"Oops!" Han covered his mouth with his hand. "Not supposed to tell. The Prince was going to find that out all by himself."

"But you can help him," Mal'orch said encouragingly.

"Buy you a drink, stranger?" Two men stood crowding into Han's personal space.

"Why?" Han's voice had turned coldly hostile.

The larger of the two cracked a grin. "I think we have the answers to your problems."

Han turned back to his lum. "I don't know you."

"That can be changed." The speaker was a squat man. "My name is Vreet and this is Prebs. You are?" He cocked his head to one side.

"I'm not sure I should tell you," Han slurred with the careful enunciation of one that wasn't quite sober.

Vreet's smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "It would only be good manners to introduce yourself to people who could help you with your difficulties."

"Bohb… Bohb Barattas," Han grunted unwillingly.

"Well, Bohb," Vreet said brightly. "I would like to buy you another drink." He pointed to Han's almost empty glass.

"Don't know about that. I should be trying to sober up. His royal highnessness…" There was no mistaking the sneer that crossed Han's face. "If I go back him like this he will hang me by the feet down his precious Tellen mines."

"Tellen mines. Your boss is in charge of some?"

"He owns a whole planet of them," Han snapped.

"And he needs… workers for these mines?" Vreet enquired, his manner obsequious.

"Sure he does. Just not keen on paying them. How else will he make credits?"

"Get him a caf, barkeep," Prebs said carefully, wincing at the ache in his jaw. He'd spent two hours being treated by the docdroid and it still hurt.

"We don't do caf here," Mal'orch growled. "This is a bar, not some fancy cafshop."

"Sure you do. It will be worth it for you." Prebs had suddenly realised this could be a way for him to get back into Tharakan's good graces and turned back to Han. "We can help you and your master. We have information that could lead you to the supply of many workers."

"This ain't good," Han mumbled to himself, his head almost lying on the bar. "Can't just land on a strange world and find enough slaves. This is too good to be true; there's gotta be a catch. New Reb… New Rebup… Them guys in the Core – they banned it."

"The Core?" Vreet laughed. "Too far from here."

"Told him he should just forget about the mines. He needs hundreds and hundreds of workers and he doesn't like to pay them. If it had still been the Empire – no problem. Old Palpy would have had a supply of Wooks straight down the shafts before you could say Death Star. And anyone who has these kinds of workers don't have the pretty ones for sale too. He likes them feisty, you know. These princes. . ."

Mal'orch interrupted Han's rambling monologue by banging a large mug of frothy looking caf down on the bar, the milky liquid slopping over the sides in an undignified puddle.

Vreet chuckled. "I said that I may be able to help you out and I may be able to do exactly that. Drink your caf. I'm sure you can advise your 'boss' if you are in a more sober mood." He turned away from Han and motioned to someone in the shadows. As Beridor and Feenus suspected, Solpar emerged from one of the darkest corners in the place.

Altra reached into her pocket and activated the listening device. They'd bugged the whole place years ago and luckily no one had discovered that vital piece of information. Vreet and Prebs were frantically conversing with Solpar, almost ignoring Han for the moment. He was staring gloomily into his mug of caf. 

"I think they might have bought it," Altra murmured to her husband.

Han's eyes met those of Mal'orch and winked. He switched on his com which he'd discreetly hidden under his collar. "Kid! Looks like we're set to go," he whispered. "Wait until I give you another signal. Shouldn't be long. Don't do anything stupid."

Luke clicked back in response.

*******************************************

"How many princes from Mittenden IV drop into our laps every day looking for the kind of goods that only we can supply?" Vreet asked, his round, pudgy eyes gleaming with avarice.

Prebs shrugged. "Never heard of him."

Solpar's thin face seemed to grow thinner. "I have heard of him and the answer to your question, Vreet, is: not many. There are not very many Mittenden princelings. Not with as much money as he's reputed to be worth."

"And he's worth a lot?" Prebs asked.

"Apparently." Solpar assessed Han's figure still slumped against the bar.

"I suppose he's genuine," Vreet said.

"Oh, yes. Drunk as anything. I can tell when that's faked and he wasn't faking it. Just to be sure we can run a check on his name when we get to headquarters. You did get his name?"

"Bohb Barattas," Prebs supplied eagerly and then winced as his badly swollen jaws protested.

"You really should get that looked at," Solpar commented snidely. "Looks as if it could hurt a bit."

"I've had it checked."

"Then Tharakan should get his docdroid disintegrated. Ready to persuade our friend that we are exactly what his lord needs?"

Altra moved the tiny listening device back behind her ear and grinned. "It is sounding as if we've fooled them."

"Good." Feenus gave a thin smile. "If all goes to plan, Han should take them to the _Falcon_. Luke is waiting there."

**********************************

"We would like to meet your prince." Solpar said ingratiatingly. "We are sure we could solve his problem."

"Don't know about that." As he sobered up Barattas was becoming less forthcoming and far more truculent in his manner. "You in charge?"

"No, but _my_ boss listens closely to my words."

Yeah, right, thought Han. "And your boss is?"

"My boss doesn't like his name bandied about in a place like this."

Han shrugged. "Then we don't do business. I notice you haven't given me your name. His royalness don't put up with underlings, no matter how important they are still below him. He just deals with the main man. No offence."

Solpar's nostrils twitched as if he'd just smelled something unpleasant. "None taken. My name is Solpar, this is Vreet. We work for a local syndicate organised by General Raitt."

Han's demeanour changed immediately. "Nice to meet you. The prince does listen to me sometimes but as he's reached his majority he thinks he can do without me most of the time. I have advised him on what he should do - but will he listen?"

"The confidence of youth," Solpar gritted out between his teeth. Trying to stay pleasant to this character was extremely trying. He was tempted to just blast him but noted that Barattas' hand never strayed far from his blaster.

"I practically raised him after all. The king isn't big on parenting. No time for that kind of stuff when you have a kingdom to run and Prince Aesophas could have done with some serious parenting."

"You acted like a kind of tutor?"

"Yeah." Han turned back to his drink and sipped carefully. It wasn't the best caf he'd had by a long shot and it was getting cold. "That's what I did – I was his tutor and believe me it was no sinecure."

"We have instructions to take you to the… ahem… 'main man'."

"Oh" Han drew the word out. "But will he listen to me?"

"Probably not, that's why you have to convince the prince."

Prebs guffawed and then groaned. "Convince the prince…" he managed to say before subsiding against the bar holding his jaw tenderly.

Han glowered at the stricken man. "How can I trust you? I am responsible for my young master. Not that there is any love lost between us but if something happens to him, you understand. Say - if he gets hurt. . . It wouldn't go well for me. I'd be dropped at the bottom of the Tellen mine and never seen again. I value my skin."

"Not to worry. He'll be perfectly safe with us.  And I am sure the prince has more than just you as his security detail?" Vreet smiled. "We will allow him to keep his guards with him."

Han tilted his head to one side as he considered this surprising option. They must want Prince Aesophas' business badly to agree to allow him to keep his own security.

Solpar gave Vreet a sideways glance which Han intercepted. "There are those who would like to deprive us of our livelihood. We agree to the prince keeping his guards and arming himself because those beings would stop at nothing to ruin us."

'Ah,' thought Han. 'Feen and the others have been far more successful than they thought.' "No," he said, tugging carefully at his fuzzy black beard. No use advertising it for the fake it was.

"Yes," said Vreet.

"I'll contact the royal head of security," Han said at once, opening the channel on his comlink which linked it to Altra's, "and advise him of the situation. He will not be happy."

"He will be glad to ensure the safety of his master."

"This is true," Han agreed as he raised his comlink to his lips. "Commander Feen?"

Feenus raised his eyes to those of his wife. "What's he up to?"

Altra grinned. "You'd better answer him. I think you've just been promoted."

Feenus grimaced. "Yes, sir," he muttered.

"I have arranged a meeting for the prince with people who can help him find what he desires. I will need you to be ready to provide him with suitable protection. This has been cleared with our contacts."

"I will tell the prince," Feenus breathed into the mic. Clicking it off again, he looked at Altra and Beridor. "Solo's got them hooked. Let's hope the Jedi is also as good at subterfuge."


	11. Part 11

**The Emerald Price Chapter 11**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

****

**Disclaimer: **- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course, for Mona.

**The _Millennium Falcon, _Elrood Spaceport**

Han gasped for breath as he raced up the ramp of the _Falcon._ "Kid," he called, "they're on their way…" and then halted. Six black clad men stood waiting in the crew quarters. 

"What!" Han stopped, panic flooding his chest, his hand reflexively sliding to the blaster at his thigh. His hand slowed. There was something about the way one of them moved that relieved his tension. These men looked familiar. He'd swear he'd seen these men before. 

Recognition dawned. He _had_ seen them before - in the market square. "You're with Adremetis?" At the slight nod of their heads he sighed. "You had me worried for a moment."

"Yes, Sir." One of the men stepped forward and despite the respectful tone in his voice, Han could see the amused glint in the man's eyes. "We never meant to cause you any anxiety. We're here to provide security for Prince Aesophas."

"They know I'm not the real prince, Han." Luke emerged from the crew quarters and Han almost recoiled. It was Luke's voice, but not his familiar persona. The heir apparent to Mittenden IV stood before him in all his scarlet and gold glory. 

Han stared at the Jedi, his hands on his hips and a 'do-you-really-think-I-don't-know-that' expression on his face. "You send me to Kessel and back in that get up," Han finally muttered. "I meant for the silk to be made into something for my wife – not for you."

"What! You don't think it's my colour?" Luke asked.

Han gave him a warning look. "It's the voice. You have to change your voice, smart ass. Excuse us, guys," he apologised to the silently waiting men. "I need to speak to the _prince_ privately." He made for the cockpit waiting until the door slid shut behind them before slumping into the pilot's seat.

"What's wrong, Han?" Luke asked. "The usual?"

"Kid, are you sure this is the best way to proceed? I mean, I know that you're the Jedi Master now and all, but you did grow up a farmer. Sure, you mix with all sorts but… Are you certain you can pull this off? Leia was brought up to do this – it's second nature to her – but it's not your usual at all.  On top of that, this group appears to be a very well set up organisation. Are you really sure this will work? It ain't gonna be easy"

"This isn't the Death Star. When do we ever just go and do 'easy'? If you can think of another way, I'm all ears."

When Han remained silent for a moment Luke continued, "You know it's the only way. There's nothing else we can do." Luke lowered himself into the co-pilot's chair and stared at the instrumentation panel with troubled eyes, his mouth tightly set.

Han had seen that brooding look on the Jedi's face too many times and he wondered where the carefree moisture farmer he'd transported off Tatooine all those years ago had gone. Who had switched him with this sober man with the weight of the galaxy upon his shoulders? "Ah, kid. I'm sorry…"

"I've tried meditating on it in the short time we've had. We aren't here to put these guys out of business. This is not our fight. I cannot free all the slaves and ruin the syndicate as much as I want to rid the galaxy of scum like this, but we _can_ get Mara out.  We have to free Mara. It's the only way we can proceed. I wish there was more we could do."

Luke could feel Han's doubt and he knew that the Corellian hated to trust his life on the Force.  He smiled slightly when he felt Han's resignation.

"I thought that too," Han admitted with a deep sigh. "I was just hoping there might be an easier way. I don't trust these kinda guys…"

"And you think I do?" Luke shook his head. "I'm not naïve, Han. I can take care of myself. 

"I know. It's just… Just be careful."

"You're telling me?" Luke coughed. "Hey, if I mess up, these guys will just think that I'm just acting peculiar... you know - being royalty."

"Just try not to mess up."

"Yeah, I guess we'll both have to watch out. As I said, all we're going to do is go in, collect Mara, plant the trackers and get out."

Han gave a short burst of laughter. "Simple."

"Hey, it's not as if we haven't done this before. That's what our plans usually entail. In, collect the girl and get out before everything blows up in our faces."

"Yeah, like I said. 'Simple'".

The side of Luke's mouth twitched in a half smile. "If only it were."

"Can you sense if Mara's here? If she's not, we're deep in greasy bantha stew. It's all very well to go in to rescue the maiden but we'd look pretty silly if we find out that she's somewhere else. You do think that she's really been taken by these guys?"

Luke's eyes seemed to lose focus for a few moments and Han could see that he was reaching into the Force – reaching for Mara's presence. "I can feel her," he said breathing out shakily. "She's in a bad way but she's very close – very close." He gave a shiver, his eyes darkening almost to navy blue.  He lifted his head and stared into nothingness. "She's here," he whispered, his voice faint. "She's on this world. We're together…"

"What?" Han asked softly, almost to himself, as worry lines appeared between his brows.

Luke shook himself and then cleared his throat. "I can't link with her mind too often or she'll drag me into whatever hell she's occupying. Nor do I want her giving the game away. If she recognises me and calls me by another name."

Han didn't like the sound of that. He had heard Luke say that he could feel his bond with the red-head very strongly. Hearing voices in his head was one thing but being influenced by her illness was quite another. He hated when Luke sounded like he was spouting things that sounded like prophecies. "Luke…"

"I contacted Elscol and Sixtus – they're on their way. I suspect Elscol was really intrigued by this mission." Luke didn't want Han dwelling too much on the strange nature of his bond with Mara. Even he found it perplexing. Luke found himself saying things that hinted at a relationship of a more personal nature between himself and the beautiful trader – he opened his mouth and the words emerged. Mara and he were not… a couple. They would never be together and if she heard him saying such things and felt how closely they were linked she would be furious. He could almost feel her small hold-out blaster digging into his ribs again. "Elscol is readying her team and planning strategies." 

But Han was not so easily diverted. "Fine – but there's quite a bit to go before those two can waltz in and mop up what's left. I'm worried about you, kid. This link you have…"

"It will help us find her and then I can close it down to what it was before." Luke didn't know if he actually believed that statement but it sounded credible. Mara wouldn't want such an intimate connection to him nor the closeness that it entailed.  It would remind her too much of what she had shared with Emperor. Part of him suspected that Mara thought he could still turn into the Emperor.

"Okay," Han wasn't sure if he was convinced but after years of being with the young Jedi Master, he could tell when to leave best alone. The subject was dropped.

"Han…" Luke hesitated.

"What is it?"

"I'm going to have to become the prince."

"I know."

"Yes, but I'm going to have to try and adopt his mannerisms if we're to convince our syndicate pals that we really are who we're pretending to be. I'm going to _become_ him."

"And you're telling me what exactly? I'm going to be some kind of servant, right?"

"Get ready to duck."

"I don't like this," Han muttered under his breath.

Luke glanced at him. "It was your idea to come with me."

Han's face darkened. "Thanks for reminding me and, actually, it was Leia's idea." His lips twitched briefly. "I just agreed with her." He handed Luke a couple of miniscule tracking devices. "Got these from Beridor - he's Feenus' buddy. I brushed past him on the way out of the bar and these slipped into my hands. Adremetis has trained his people well but I should have expected that. He was a good soldier back in the old days - had a single-minded purpose about him. Reminds me of you at times."

"These look effective." Luke stored the items in a pouch attached to the belt hidden under his silken wrappings.

"I've asked for the prince to be allowed your weapons and your security people."

"They agreed?"

"Yup. Surprisingly enough they did."

"Good, but I still better keep my lightsaber hidden," Luke stated. "I don't think there are many psychotic princes with Jedi abilities. My lightsaber has to be a last resort."

"Psychotic?" Han's eyes widened. "Don't leave me with thoughts like that." He grabbed his comlink as it squealed shrilly. "Solo!"

"Good job it was me and not one of our new trading partners calling," Feenus' voice noted sardonically. "They are almost with you. Docking bays 79 and 80 are clear. One of their own vessels is due to land in 80 in the next hour. We will meet in 79. I've deployed extra men around the site."

"Where are you?" Han asked.

"Just coming into your area of the docking bay now. Altra decided to commandeer someone's speeder. Looked like he was too drunk to miss it."

"You picked a good one there, Feen. Hold on to her."

"I intend to." As Han clicked off his comlink he heard the sound of the speeder entering the bay.

*********************************

Her hat pulled well over her face, Altra stopped the 'borrowed' speeder. It was doubtful anyone would look closely enough to realize that she was female. Feenus squeezed her hand before vaulting from the vehicle. The half dozen men he'd detailed to become Luke's security force, exited from the _Falcon _and positioned themselves on either side of the ramp awaiting the emergence of the prince from the ship. Others were stationed around the spaceport in more discreet locations.

"Vreet and Solpar are already waiting," she whispered. "Cam is still in the Merry Pirate. Could be his speeder I requisitioned."

"Could be," he murmured. "Yes, I see them." Feenus gave Han the signal on his com. "Okay Solo, any moment now. Keep the com channels open at all times. Beridor is monitoring things from docking bay 82."

************************

"Okay, your worship. Do your worst," Han said and moved to the head of the ramp, ready to exit. "I worked for Jabba for years. I know how to keep out of the way of autocratic princelings."

"Right." Luke took a deep breath. This was it.

*************************

Suddenly a loud noise could be heard echoing around docking bay 77 and coming from the ship. A voice screamed irately for several minutes until there was an ear-splitting crash and Han stumbled down the ramp in a daze. 

"But your royalness, if you would only listen to what I'm trying to tell you," he shouted into the open ship. "Your father…" He ran back into the ship and there was an ominous silence. Another crash and Han came back down the ramp as if a krayt dragon was after him, running full tilt into Vreet and Solpar. "He's mad!" he said and then seemed to remember to whom he was speaking. "He's not mad. No, not at all - just a little upset. I've seen him far worse than this. He'll come around. Great men like to know things in advance."

He winced as several more loud bangs and crashes echoed around the docking bay but not once did Feenus or his security men move a muscle. It appeared that they were well used to the caprices of their master. Han said conspiratorially, "He's just calming down. It always takes a few minutes and then he'll be quite reasonable about things."

"Good," Vreet said. He glanced at Solpar. "I think the General has arrived in the nearest available docking bay."

Solpar's thin face brightened. "I will alert him that the Prince is ready to see him." He disappeared in the direction of the vacant bay.

"Yes, please do." Han jumped as a sound resembling breaking glass ricocheted around the bay. "I just wish he wouldn't smash up my ship. Please hurry and give him something to occupy his attention or I won't have any dishes left."

"Your ship?" asked Vreet curiously.

"_My _ship." Han's voice was proud. "It is not much to look at but it has it where it counts. The prince is one of the richest men in this entire sector, but he wanted to go incognito.  The royal family like their luxury, but if he wanted to remain anonymous and sneak away from negotiations, he had to use a ship they wouldn't expect him to use. His father turned a blind eye to his escape. The king realised that having the prince there all the time might make the duchess change her mind. Especially if he was in one of his moods. His own ship – the Royal Yacht - is still on Mittenden V."

"Negotiations? Duchess?"

"Yeah! Marriage with this Duchess from Mittenden V. I mean it's practically decided that they will wed. I told him to wait but he's attained his majority and his father wants him wed. He thinks it might improve his temper." Han's face told the shorter man exactly what he thought of that idea. "Now you know nothing about this. He'll remove my head from my body if he guesses I've told you."

"But if he's in love with this duchess?"

"Love!" Han hooted. "Have you seen her?"

"That good, huh?"

"Worse. I've seen better looking whiphids."

"All that inbreeding."

"That's politics. She's rich and the family want her inheritance to come to them. He has dark moods and they want him settled and an heir sired. Say… remember I mentioned pleasure slaves?"

"Yes."

"One of those might take his mind off the duchess and the heat off me. He likes them feisty. Not one who'll just submit without a fight. He reckons he can get those at court. Have you got any shapely females?"

"We can get anyone or anything the prince desires," Vreet boasted smugly.

"He'll pay for her in jewels." Han wondered if the bauble from Jaina's princess set was realistic enough.

"That will be acceptable."

"Might take some of the heat off the duchess too. Poor girl. She's young and gently reared. She can't help the way she looks. He's not known for his kindness to women. As far as larger shipments of merchandise are concerned an account will be activated when terms have been agreed."

Vreet twisted his mouth sideways and nodded slowly. "Should be okay with the General. Yes. I can see that working very well. He can't just hand over a sack of jewels."

Han chortled. "That would look a bit suspicious to customs."

A tall man in black walked towards Vreet and Han. "Mr Barattas?"

"Yes, Commander Feen." Han's voice became more officious.

"I'm concerned about the security measures in place for our master. I have not been allowed to check the locations and the personnel over thoroughly. What will the king say if he finds out about this state of affairs?"

"The Prince is being allowed to keep his security with him. It will be fine, Commander. We can leave people in place here to report back to, should anything untoward occur."

Feen's comlink beeped. He turned away and conversed with whoever was at the other end before swivelling around to face Han. He gave a brisk nod. "The prince is ready to leave your ship, Mr Barattas."

"Noted."

Solpar walked back into the docking bay to find that the six security men had lined the ramp of Bohb Barattas' ramshackle looking ship. They stood alertly in parade ground formation. Solpar was impressed. This was the kind of person he liked to deal with. He opened his own comlink. "Vreet will escort Mr. Barattas to you. He will tell you what the prince requires. His Majesty will be with you in minutes."

Raitt couldn't keep the satisfaction from his own voice. "Send him over. I'm looking forward to our conversation."

**************************************

He had been kept waiting long enough, and he waited for few these days. The former Imperial General, Comptroller Ishyori Raitt was a spare, lean man in his sixties with snapping pale eyes of a colour which was neither blue nor green. He'd walked into the empty docking bay expecting to see the Mittenden heir but instead the place had been totally empty. He'd turned sharply to his aide. "Where are they? There's not even a ship docked here."

The aide opened his mouth and then closed it as footsteps rang hollowly on the duracrete flooring of the bay.

Solpar appeared, his feet moving swiftly towards his boss. "I'm so sorry, General. We decided to meet in the empty bay as there was room for everyone to converge in the open. Tharakan's ship is due to land in bay 80 and we want him to get his _cargo_ unloaded in peace. The prince is being somewhat difficult but should be on his way momentarily. Mr. Barattas is with him, as is his head of security, Commander Feen. They are filling him in on the details. He seemed a little annoyed at missing the real action."

"Ah, yes the vagaries and idiosyncrasies of the nobility," Raitt murmured. "But a good idea to inform 'His Highness'. This could be very profitable for us all."

"We aim to provide a service, General. I will return to see if our client is finally ready and bring Mr. Barattas with me to hopefully ease our way with His Royal Highness. His aim is to see that the prince gets what he wants." He bowed to the General and strode away.

"An admirable trait," remarked Raitt as he watched Solpar leave.

***********************************

Luke peered at himself in the mirror and gave the metal box he'd filled with scrap pieces Han had discarded earlier another kick. It created quite a good sound effect. He brushed a speck of fluff off the Hapan silk adorning his person and looked down his own nose at himself. Aesophas was a particularly loathsome specimen but he would have to do. 

He moved to the head of the _Falcon'_s ramp but the continuous buzzing in the Force intensified painfully. He grabbed the side of the bulkhead. With the increase in pressure he knew that Mara was now on Elrood. He knew it as sure as he knew he was still alive and clutching onto the _Falcon's _bulkhead.

She was so close now, projecting her pain for any Force sentient in the quadrant. He clenched his hands into fists and slowly stood. It was only when he reinforced his barriers that he could stand comfortably. Luke's eyes glinted silver as his fury rose. How dare this happen to Mara – to anyone? It took a major effort but Luke banked his anger. The dark side brushed at the edges of his vision. He had to maintain control or it would be his undoing. The dark side was always with him and he was not going to go that route ever again. 'Calm', he told himself. 'Peace. You will not help her with your anger.' But Luke knew that what he really wanted to do was to tear the planet apart until Mara was safe again. It felt as if his heart had been torn from his body. A Jedi could stand only so much when it concerned those he…

Luke lifted bewildered blue eyes to the grey plates above his head. Mara was his friend. Why did he keep feeling as if she were more? She was in love with Lando and besides, romantic love had no place in his life.

He lifted his chin and stared resolutely ahead, the warmth of his blue gaze slowly turning to ice. As he exited the _Falcon_, his usual loping stride, learnt on the sands of the world where he'd been brought up, changed to an arrogant swagger.

Prince Aesophas of Mittenden IV had come to Elrood to purchase a slave. 


	12. Part 12

**The Emerald Price Chapter 12**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer: **- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you?

The small group of people waiting in Docking Bay 80 felt a sharp tug of nervous apprehension as they heard the speeder approach. This man was one of the most important beings in the Sector, possibly in this whole corridor of space. He wouldn't just make them rich. They had achieved quite vast sums of money already with their 'little enterprise' as Raitt liked to call it. He would make them _spectacularly_ rich.

Prince Aesophas' money would give them enough wealth so that they had true power. They would be a force to be reckoned with – perhaps on a par with government figures. They could even set up their own little Empires after this was over…if nothing messed this up.

The hum of the speeder was the first thing they heard, followed by the sound of booted feet marching alongside in perfect synchronisation. Han tugged at his security uniform's tunic and adjusted the peaked cap. The former Imperial General, Ishyori Raitt, stood stiffly beside him, a strange little smile on his lips. Next stood Vreet and Solpar, fidgeting and shuffling, trying to banish their tension. 

Raitt's bid for real power in the galaxy had failed with the destruction of the Empire. He'd been striving ever since to match what he'd lost and he knew that he never would again. This little operation he'd got running would not give him the power he really craved but he would finally achieve the great wealth he deserved. It would have to suffice.

Altra, her identity anonymous underneath her peaked cap, slowly piloted the speeder into docking bay 80. Six black clad guards flanked the ship, walking alongside. Prince Aesophas stood inside the speeder, his scarlet and gold raiment contrasting brightly against the black of his guards' uniforms and the drab, grey duracrete of the spaceport.

Han drew himself upright in readiness. How many times had they waited for things to happen? It looked as if this was finally it - showtime. He decided that Luke had to be using the Force to keep his balance in the speeder. The kid sure looked the part. Han could almost believe that he was the real prince. The fake beard and moustache shone gold as if lit by the sun, his bright clothing paling everything else around him into insignificance. Luke had put on enough show to dazzle the syndicate - or at least Han hoped that he had. General Raitt was known in the past to be a shrewd customer. There was always the faintest possibility their charade would not convince him. But he couldn't worry about that now. He squared his shoulders and slipped into his own part but he couldn't stop his trigger finger from twitching. It could all still go wrong – very wrong. After all, it usually did.

"I wonder how much that little gem is worth," Vreet whispered to Solpar.

"What little gem?"

"The one in his turban."

Han, overhearing, leaned over and tried not to smirk too openly. "That little bauble is priceless. You cannot put a figure on that shiny little stone that people would actually believe."

"Has he more like that at home?" Vreet questioned, the gleam of avarice lighting his eyes.

"I believe that there are more such jewels at home – worth equally as much." Han wasn't lying. He tried to keep the smile from forming on his lips.  The image of Jaina's play set filled with these baubles invaded his mind.

"Barattas!" 

Han jumped. The word was directed at him in a nasally high-pitched voice with the intensity of a laser shot. Han recalled hearing a voice like that once in the Senate Chambers – a noble from one of the Senex houses that they'd had so much trouble with when trying to find out what had happened to the Jedi children on Plawal. Han recalled that the old ruling houses from the Senex and Juvex sectors had advocated slavery too and Belsavis was only a day's flight away from Elrood. He couldn't believe the voice was coming from Luke.

"Your Royalness?" He didn't have to pretend his surprise.

"Did I not ask you to attend me?"

"But… but I was doing that. I was assuring myself that the leader of the syndicate knew of your needs." Han felt himself stammering. Luke's performance was so convincing that he hardly had to call on any acting ability. It just felt natural to justify his actions and to get the prince to listen to him.

Han took a grip on his fluctuating emotions. Luke seemed to be radiating power – it just rolled off him. He seemed to glow from the tips of his gleaming black boots, to his golden beard and the glittering green gem at the centre of his forehead. But it was his eyes that caused Han the most disquiet. They were still startlingly blue but the warmth that belonged to the essence of Luke had turned glacially cold. 

"Silence, fool." The prince jumped from the speeder and advanced upon Han, malice burning in eyes unrecognisable from their true light. "I expect you to attend me at all times. My father demands it of you. _I_ command it of you."

Han heard the words in his head: '_I said duck, Han, and I mean it. NOW!'_ He jerked away as Luke's hand lashed out narrowly missing the side of his face, but the way Luke had angled his body away from the group meant the onlookers thought that he had connected with the taller man. Han retreated a few steps, his hand glued to his cheek, groaning as if in great pain.

"You have to deal with the servants in a way that their simple minds understand," Luke explained to the others disdainfully.

The general smiled thinly. He'd heard things about the Mittenden royalty and could see the truth in the rumours. The man was undoubtedly mad but clever and dangerous with it. Just the kind he liked to deal with.

"Your Highness – I am General Ishyori Raitt, head of the Elrooden Slavers Syndicate. I believe I can help you."

"I will travel in the first transport with you, General," Luke announced grandly. "Commander Feen, Mr Barattas! In the second transport." 

Feenus hid a smile. The Jedi was proving to be nothing like he'd originally thought him to be. 'And I called him Mister Impassive,' he mused. Of course, now he knew it was Luke Skywalker - that made a difference. The Jedi Knight had been a commander in the rebellion and had seen action many times in battle and on undercover missions. Yes, he could understand why Han Solo had hooked up with Luke Skywalker or was it the other way around? "Of course, sir." He motioned his team into the next two transports along with Vreet and Solpar. This was their chance to see the location that the syndicate used to peddle their wares. It would give then the chance to work out what to do to stop them.

The general and the prince appeared to be getting on very well. As he climbed into the second transport, Han heard the high-pitched, nasal voice chuckling at something the former Imperial had said.

The transports set off in their strange little convoy and headed out of the Spaceport into the surrounding industrial area. Barely five minutes into their journey they entered the gates of a compound set into the side of a small hill.

Guards stationed inside directed them into a tunnel where they were greeted by an imposing set of durasteel doors.

"Our facility is underground," Raitt explained to Luke, "…for security and confidentiality. Our clients need that."

"I can appreciate that."

Han flicked his gaze to that of Feenus_. "Facility?" _ he whispered, a worried look in his eyes.

"_Underground,_" replied Feenus in the same way. "I don't like this," he muttered.

In the first transport, Raitt was continuing his explanation to the prince. "At the far side of our property we are planning to have ship access bays cut directly into the hill. That way we can completely bypass the spaceport and the customs. Presently we pay them a substantial retainer to aid their forgetfulness. It will also quicken our journey. This…" he indicated the careful progression of the fleet of transport vehicles. "This is time consuming."

"That is superior thinking, Ishyori," Luke agreed. "Men such as ourselves have great demands upon our time. We cannot dawdle."

Han and Feenus, listening in on Luke's open comlink, suppressed a shudder. "Bypass customs?" Feenus mouthed silently.

Han's face was grim, the lines under his eyes appearing more pronounced in the intermittent light of the ceiling lumas. "I heard him," he murmured softly. "I don't like it either."

"This is not good news at all." He reached out his hand and with a quick flick of his wrist thrust a homing device, one his team had designed, into the air. It launched itself from his hand and burrowed into the stone walls. It was unlikely to be discovered. "Altra's design," he said.

"One clever lady." Han flashed a quick grin.

"She is that. I wouldn't it have made it this far without her," Feenus was certain of what his wife had done for him. "She and Beridor are scanning our bio-signs but I don't think our scanners penetrate to this depth. I'm not even sure what direction we went in."

"South, I think," muttered Han.

"South!" Feenus' face went still, a muscle working in his cheek and Han wondered what the other man was thinking.

"What is it?"

"South," he repeated.

"So?"

"Ridgeway plateau."

"I've never heard of it."

"Why should you? You don't live on this world and cannot be expected to be familiar with its geography. We've been travelling for some distance and you think we're heading south. Ridgeway plateau is a high escarpment overlooking the farming plains. If they cut ship access ports into the cliffs then ships could fly directly to the syndicate headquarters from anywhere in the galaxy without being noticed."

"Sith!" Han swore quietly. "That's definitely not good. Still, it gives you an idea of where to look though."

"Yes it does, but the Ridgeway plateau is thousands of miles long. It's one of the most noted geographical features in this sector." Feenus lapsed into silence but his watchful eyes took in every detail of their passage.

************************************

After a thirty minute drive along winding duracrete tunnels, the newly completed syndicate headquarters came as a complete shock to Luke, Han and Feenus Adremetis. They had assumed deals were being made in a spaceport bar or even Raitt's home but never had they imagined this state of the art, transparisteel and durasteel prison. This was a totally secure facility – but then so had the Death Star been. They would have to escape the same way that they entered – in full view of everyone. Han hoped Mara was in here but could Luke fool so many people by paying for the red-head with a worthless microplasti jewel and then make a run for it? Han was beginning to doubt it. 

He tuned in once again to Luke's com only to hear the Jedi ask about the durasteel doors and where they'd purchased the ore to have them made. It sounded as if Luke was trying to sound out the head of the syndicate for a possible business deal once he got his mines in working order. Han stifled a snort. That kid was wilier than a Hutt at times.

Each slave lord had bought into the facility purchasing his or her own holding pens and display areas. Security was tight with holocams and guard stations. Feenus wondered as they were shown around the central guard station, how far underground they had come and how long it had taken for it to be built. He slid unnoticed against the wall and placed another small but powerful tracking device into a recess built to house an air vent. With any luck it would be days or even weeks before this was noticed. It would give them a definite chance to find the facility's correct location and discern whether they could hit it from above. It was maybe their best chance. Once the access ports were built, the traffic of slaves in and out of Elrood could be never-ending.

*****************************************

Luke stopped to gaze at a group of insect-like aliens. He wasn't sure what species they were but assumed they came from somewhere in the sector. A wave of familiar heat flashed through him leaving him drained and breathless. _Mara!_ It just had to be Mara. He knew she was close – he could feel their connection strengthening with every step he took. But her lack of focus made him worry about her condition. 

The buzzing in Luke's head intensified further making it difficult to keep his concentration on what General Raitt was showing him but he had to try. Mara was depending on him – she needed him. He hid a wince as another burst of pained energy hit him. She was broadcasting, her pain and distress reverberating through the Force, and because he was so close she was battering down his carefully constructed shields. He knew she was powerful and this exemplified it. She had never let rip with the full extent of her true power before. Perhaps she'd been unable to. Perhaps what the Emperor had done to her had locked Mara Jade into a pattern where she was afraid to let go and become who she was born to be. 

_'Mara, hear me,' _he sent over and over but she didn't reply. He doubted she was able to receive anything. He tried to project some of his strength to her. He had to act immediately; Mara was in serious danger and parading around like an overdressed fop was taking too much time. Luke's blue eyes glinted coldly, appearing almost silver in the artificial light source as his fury rose. 

'Calm', he told himself trying to reign in his fury. 'Peace. You will not help her if you allow the dark side to take over. Your anger will not help her.' But Luke's black gloved fingers clenched. He wanted to smash this overly bright, sterile, terrible place into oblivion until he found her. These monsters would know who and what they were dealing with. It would be so easy just to lift his hand and…

Instead, he turned to the General and drawled lazily, "I am most impressed. I wish I'd known of this operation years ago. It is extremely professional."

"I am honoured, Your Highness, that you think so but this facility has just been completed. Our operation was perhaps more ad hoc in the past – less organised. In bringing the slave lords together, I'm making this a far more viable venture. Some beings are born to lead and others merely to serve as I'm sure you already know." He shared this imperially learned homily with the prince and was rewarded with a cold smile. "We can offer more to our clients. Greater numbers, more variety…"

Luke nodded, as if deep in thought. "You will know that I have recently inherited some Tellen mines?"

"I had heard."

"These mines could be extremely profitable for my world. My people…"

Raitt tried not to sneer. Aesophas had no interest in the people of his world. He wanted the wealth and power for himself. He could appreciate that.

The prince continued, gesturing expansively with his hands, "I need far more workers than I have willing on Mittenden IV. Regular Mittenden miners are more expensive. To get these mines working I need a cheaper alternative."

"Then we can certainly help you."

"I won't be buying today unless…"

Raitt quashed his disappointment. He had decided that this would be the case although part of him had been hopeful but the prince was mad, not stupid. This was a preliminary contact. They were fortunate to have access to the prince so early in the process. "Unless?"

"I'll come to that later," Luke said dismissively. He walked around the central section of the facility. It was almost like a Core World maximum security jail. Or perhaps even the technological terror of the original Death Star. Durasteel bars caged dull-eyed humans who were separated from listless aliens of many species. 

Each syndicate had leased an area and paraded their wares in front of transparisteel windows to the visiting guests. Luke was sickened by the whole experience but not by the flicker of an eyelash did he let on how much this was affecting him. He gazed down his aristocratic nose as if these beings were dirt under his feet. He could feel their despair, their total degradation and despite his efforts his anger still rose. He had to maintain his control. He had to be patient. In time these people would get the help they needed. If Luke acted now he would ruin everything.

"I will send my father's negotiator to you in two months," Luke announced suddenly. 

"Two months?" Raitt said frowning.

"Yes, two months. He will tell you the exact amount of workers I require. However to give you an estimate, I have noted some numbers down on a pad. Barattas!" he shouted.

Han ran to Luke's side. "The General here, requires the pad with the numerical data."

"Pad," Han repeated. "Data?"

"You incompetent fool," Luke almost screamed, his face going bright red with temper. "I gave you the pad before I left."

Han shook his head at Raitt, trying to indicate he'd been given no such pad. "I'll go and get it immediately, Your Highness," he bowed, keeping well out of the way of the Prince's twitching right hand.

Han and Feenus had stopped trying to catch each other's eye as they followed Luke and Raitt. It was unthinkable – far worse than they had suspected. They syndicate had been organised with all the skill of an Imperial General - Raitt. These people had to be stopped and soon. It was time to start laying the groundwork. Han stood in front of Feenus masking him from the ever present holocams or security guards as he laid another tracking device. 

Feenus produced a datapad and handed it to Han who began to key in figures. "What do you think?" he asked Feenus. "Does this amount seem like enough beings for a planet's worth of mines?"

"It should be." He tried to recall the numbers crewing on Despayre and taking the pad from Han changed several of the numbers. "Then again, I think more would be required." He gave Han the pad who wandered slowly to where Luke was sitting on a plush sofa in the overseer's office. "Your pad, Your Royalness."

"Ah, thank you, Barattas." Luke was gracefully condescending. "I knew your memory would return eventually."

"The figures, sir, are rough."

"The negotiator will confirm the correct quantites I require."

Raitt took the pad and skimmed its contents, his eyes widening almost imperceptibly. "This gives us some guidelines."

"You will also have perhaps heard that I am to be married?" Luke tilted his head to one side abruptly. "I have wedding festivities to endure and they will last two months."

"I see."

"Top-secret talks have a way of becoming common knowledge."

"Your adviser mentioned it."

"He would not have done so if I had not allowed it. It is not my desire but she is rich and malleable. As long as I bed her and produce an heir, she doesn't matter."

"Quite," the general agreed, sabacc-faced.

"There is no doubt that I will produce one unless the duchess is barren and if so, we will get rid of her – divorce or a fatal illness." Luke flicked a hand negligently. "I can marry again. I have many children by my mistresses but, alas, these children cannot rule. They would not be suitable in any case. Their blood is not pure enough to rule in the Mittenden line. They would fail to succeed and our royal blood would be tainted in future generations. This may lead to cases of insanity. We can only mate and produce children fit to rule with those born to nobility – the others are born to serve. Of course, because of their royal blood they are particularly suited to serving the royal household."

"Of course." 

"My tutor and adviser, Barattas, is the offspring of one of my father's cousins."

"You are fortunate to command such loyalty. I wish you every… happiness with your match."

Luke smirked. He had managed to almost silence Raitt with that last one. "She is fortunate to be betrothed to me."

"But… but she will of course be beautiful," Raitt managed to say after an awkward silence.

Luke let out a crack of laughter. "Beautiful – my duchess? Gods no!" I'm not marrying her for her face, which is just as well."

"Ah… yes."

"In the light of my bride-to-be being uglier than a whiphid, I would like to make one purchase. In a show of good faith and to ease my needs." He moved his hips in a crude little gesture.

"That can be arranged. I take it that you would desire a pleasure slave?"

A febrile glitter lit the eyes of the prince. "A pleasure slave," he echoed. "Exactly."

"Our lords have a plentiful supply of such women."

"She must be beautiful."

"That is not a difficulty." Raitt moved to a bank of monitors and switched one on. "Lord Diptil has a blue-skinned Twi'lek of amazing flexibility. She is most obedient and has received tutoring in all the arts of pleasure."

Luke pursed his lips and smoothed his golden beard. "Twi'leks. Yes, rather too brightly hued for my taste. I would prefer something a little more human and I like them with spirit. Obedience can be beaten or thrust into them after all. Human women can become part of my court almost unnoticed. If this pleasure slave works out well, she may even become one of my bride's attendants." He gave an evil smile. "Yes, spirit. Something wild that needs taming is very much to my taste."

Raitt pressed a switch and a holo appeared in the air in front of Luke. "The woman was beautiful, blue and barely clothed. Luke tried not to squirm as she performed an intricate series of twirls, leaps and spins. "She's very… blue," he said and yawned as if the sight of the alien woman bored him.

"Yes, but she may be more appealing to you '_in the flesh'_. I'll still take you down to meet Lord Diptil, he may have something else and there's Lord Tharakan. He had a…" Raitt tapped a thin finger on his chin. "If you would care to come this way, Prince Aesophas. I think we will find someone to suit your exacting standards."

"I do hope so," Luke purred sensuously. "I consider myself quite the lover and I find I'm growing rather…impatient."

**********************************************************

Raitt could tell that he was losing the prince's interest as they stood outside the viewing arena of Lord Diptil.

"She's still blue," The prince dismissed the beautiful, voluptuous Twi'lek as she posed and preened, dressed only in a scrap of material, in front of the transparisteel observation window. "Don't you have one that looks more…human?" She reminded him of the dancing girls he'd met at Jabba's all those years ago. At least this one didn't have a rancor waiting to devour her if she made an error.

Luke turned away as quickly as he could, trying not to blush. The nakedness of the females embarrassed him but luckily his awkwardness was seen as a sign of indifference. He'd had relationships; he'd seen naked women before but not in such bright lighting and usually in the privacy of a bedroom.

Lord Diptil rubbed his hands together nervously. "I have an Omwati female, her hair is as delicate and feathery as air, her eyes…"

"She's blue too. I don't want a blue woman," Luke snapped, dismissing the Omwati instantly. "She will not fit in at court."

"What about an Askabajani? I have a wonderful six-breasted Askabjan dancer. She can be any shape you desire. If you want her large and full bodied increase her water intake - if you…"

"Six breasts?" The prince considered it and shuddered. "No, that's four too many. I want a _human_ pleasure slave. No Twi'lek's, no Codru'ji. I want to relate to body parts that I recognise."

Diptil shook his head slowly. It was just typical. In this cargo he had no human women. If the prince had only come last month then he'd had twenty.

He watched regretfully as the prince moved away from his area. He couldn't beat his females this time. They couldn't help being the wrong species. The next client would perhaps want a Twi'lek.

"Bad luck," Han murmured as he passed. "He's a difficult man to please."

"Great men usually are," Diptil answered diplomatically.

**********************************

"Lord Tharakan!"

The Ho'Din lifted his head from his observation monitor. "Prebs?"

"Prince Aesophas is being given a personal tour around the facility."

"Yes, I know."

"I spoke to one of his men in the cantina earlier today. I learned one or two things that could be useful – give us an edge."

Tharakan straightened his two and a half metre body. "And?"

"He wants workers for his mines."

"Yes, I know that too. Raitt has been communicating with me about the prince's visit. However the prince is not buying workers today. He wants a pleasure slave and is currently viewing Diptil's Twi'lek - which he will undoubtedly buy. I wish I'd got hold of her myself. She is a superior specimen."

Prebs could hardly contain himself. "He likes them difficult…"

Stefft emerged from one of the holding pens in time to hear Preb's last remark. "What was that?"

Prebs glanced at the larger man. "The prince likes his females to resist a little. He likes to be the boss apparently."

"What prince?" Stefft asked.

"Prince Aesophas of Mittenden IV, a wealthy mine owner is currently touring the facility," Tharakan explained languidly. "He is investigating the possibility of purchasing workers for his mines at a later date but requires a pleasure slave to tide him over the inconvenience of his upcoming nuptials."

"He's quite mad but clever with it," Prebs chipped in. "I think he likes to be rough with his women."

Stefft gave a mean smile and examined the livid scratches still adorning his hands and arms. He looked at his Lord. "We could get rid of the red-head. She is very difficult."

Prebs chuckled and then stopped laughing as his jaw throbbed painfully "I thought you said she has the fever? We cannot sell her to the prince." 

Tharakan examined his long fingers. "Why not? I'm sure he will have her cleansed inside and out before he makes use of her body. She is spectacular to look at but has been nothing but trouble. We should have sold her weeks ago. This could be our chance to get rid of her." 

"I'd like her to go to him – it would serve her right to have to submit to him. Look what she did to my face? She would give him a real fight."

"She would. However, if he doesn't want her, I have several other females that might suit 'His Highness'. If I make any sale, that is always beneficial to my business. Still, if he likes them with spirit, she has more than enough of that. Put her in the prime viewing position."

"I'll see that it's done." Stefft muttered. Half of him had been hoping that the red-head wouldn't sell and then he could have had his chance with her. _He_ could have made her behave properly.

A speaker chimed and Tharakan moved to listen.

"Lord Tharakan." Raitt's voice rang through the viewing area. "The prince would like to see your wares."

"Understood," he murmured, satisfaction making his head snakes wave as if blown by a gentle breeze. "We have a selection of the exotic…"

"Nothing blue," Raitt's voice was dry, "… and preferably human."

"Ah, Lord Diptil's Twi'lek's were found wanting," he said, satisfaction colouring his voice. "Go and prepare the human women and those that appear human. It appears that our important 'guest' will be with us shortly."

*************************************************

Mara felt the heat sweep through her aching body in waves. She was burning up, her skin felt on fire, yet inside she felt deadly cold. She had no idea where she was, what day it was, or how she was going to get out the predicament she was in. She shivered and tried to move but the restraints dug into her soft flesh, chafing the tender skin. She was almost ready to give in… almost.

_'Mara!' _

She tried to open her mouth and answer. She knew that voice from somewhere. It was comfortingly familiar.

_'Mara… hold on, please. We're coming.'_

'But I can't', she tried to respond to the voice but could not. Her spirit was weakening and she had little strength left to fight her captors _and_ the illness ravaging her body. No, maybe she didn't recognise the voice. Hearing voices was a sign of madness wasn't it? But it was someone who knew her - someone who could call out her name. She'd heard voices all her life. The Emperor had called to her, his voice in her head. This wasn't his voice – this voice was kind, was concerned for her. This voice didn't want her to give up.

Rough hands brushed across her body and she cried out in pain as their touch felt akin to the stabbing of many knives.

"Put her down here," a voice said. The bier on which Mara was lying hit the ground hard, jarring her aching frame. "Prop her up, so she can be seen."

Mara struggled to open fever-bright emerald eyes but nothing was clear as they moved the stretcher until she lay against the wall at an angle. The men in front of her were hazy and with a little sigh she lapsed again into unconsciousness.

Stefft gazed into the beautiful face, flushed from the fever. "Let's trim her outfit. Show a little more flesh. Make her more appealing to the prince."

Preb's gave a lewd chuckle and brought out a vibroblade. "Let me…"

"Careful," Stefft cautioned. "We don't want to mark her."

Prebs slashed cautiously at Mara's clothes until all she had left on were scraps of material covering her modesty.  "She is a jewel magnet," he breathed hoarsely. Her round, creamy breasts rose from out of her nothing of a top, her flat abdomen bared to view and her toned legs bare. Stefft lifted a shaking hand and traced it over the woman's body, caressing her soft flesh. His hands slipped below the scraps of cloth to find her nipples and she moaned in pain. The sound inflamed him and his hands left her body and went to the leather belt holding up his trousers. He could feel himself harden…

"Stefft!" Preb's said sharply. "You can't. Tharakan would have your skin off if you dared. We gotta get the other women ready."

The burly guard clenched his fists and took a deep breath. What was it about this slave that made himself forget where he was and what he was doing? He smoothed her hair and arranged it around her shoulders. "She's ready but keep her chained at all times."

*****************************************

"This way, Your Highness." 

Raitt led the way into a turbolift that Han thought took them up several floors. "Your Highness!" Han bowed and kept his tone servile. "We can only view one more showing. We have to return to Mittenden V by tonight for the signing of your marriage contract."

"How dare you remind me…" Luke began and then checked his wrist chrono. His face darkened with anger. "This is most unfortunate, just as I was beginning to enjoy myself. For once Barattas is right, Ishyori. It will take us several hours to return."

"One more showing and you _will_ enjoy Lord Tharakan's slaves. He has an eye for beauty."

Raitt ushered Luke into a central room where a tall, expensively garbed Ho'Din waited, headtails moving gently. Luke immediately felt revulsion. This individual had gone against the whole temperament of his nature-loving species. He was following a path so alien that it could only be from the darkness. The Ho'Din's venerated life – they didn't destroy it.

"Your Highness." The Ho'Din bowed low.

"Lord Tharakan." Luke said dismissively and immediately turned to the viewport which was shuttered. "Where are the pleasure slaves," he demanded irritably. She was near - he could feel her. She was dying inside. _'Mara!' _His heart and mind called out to her, so intent on seeing her that Luke was unaware of the words he used._ 'Not long now, my love.'_

"Wait and I will activate the screen," the slave lord said quickly. He pressed a button and the screen rose revealing several women chained to posts in a brightly lit room.

Luke's heart slammed into his mouth. Mara lay propped up in the centre of the room, her red-gold hair tumbling abundantly around her naked shoulders, garbed in several brief scraps of material almost the same colour as her creamy skin. He didn't look at any of the other women. "Her," he said hoarsely. "I want _her_."

Tharakan looked and Raitt and they both smiled. This was most satisfactory. 

"The red-haired female?" Raitt enquired.

"Yes," Luke's voice was clipped. "Can I…?"

"Touch?" asked Tharakan.

"Yes."

"She is not the most docile of slaves. I hope that doesn't put you off purchasing her. If it does, we have others…"

"Even better. I like it rough." Luke snarled, his anger against these immoral beings almost palpable. "I'm the prince. If I want a willing woman I snap my fingers at court and several will lie down in front of me there and then. Where's the excitement in that? I like to conquer and subdue. It's in my nature. My ancestors were warriors."

Han rolled his eyes and Raitt squashed a cynical smile.

"She was sedated from the journey from Aaris III. So she might not be too aware yet of what she is doing." Tharakan said.

"No matter," Luke began to pace. "I would like to inspect her at closer quarters. If I'm to buy…"

"Of course." Tharakan punched a code into the door and ushered Luke inside the viewing cell. "Stefft! Unlock the red-haired woman."

The burly guard glared at Luke but activated the control that would release Mara from her bonds. Luke quelled his urge to pick up the girl and rush out of the place to safety. He peered closely at her face, leering obviously at her figure before turning to the people remaining outside of the cell.

Han wondered what the hell his brother-in-law was going to use for credit. He caught Feenus' eye. His old comrade looked sick and Han hoped he didn't look the same.

"I want this one," Luke insisted. _'Mara,' _he attempted to contact her through the Force. _'Mara, it's me, Luke Skywalker. I've come to rescue you. I'm getting you out of here.'_

He'd seen the effect of drugs on prisoners when he'd fought for the Rebel Alliance. He'd once been in charge of a unit that had liberated an Imperial holding facility. '_Mara, I'm going to have to…well, touch you in a way I normally wouldn't. I'm sorry!'_ he apologised carefully.Luke attempted to ease some of the toxins from her bloodstream as he ran his hands over the soft skin of her shoulders and deliberately over the swell of her breasts. Her skin was burning hot to his touch and yet, he could see that she was shivering. It was doubtful she'd heard Luke at all.

It was at that moment that Mara became aware that she was once more free of her shackles and reacted. One minute she was lying quiescent and the next, in a flurry of arms and legs, her hand came up and punched Luke hard across the face.

There was a stunned silence. Raitt got ready to scream at Tharakan for jeopardising the biggest sale they'd ever have.

Han stood and watched awed and fearful at the expression on the face of the man he knew as brother and friend. He'd had a hard time quelling his own anger when he'd seen Mara's figure chained. No one should have to suffer such a fate. It was obvious that she was ill, her face feverish. Luke was the one person in the entire galaxy Han would have said that Mara would recognise. She hadn't. What had they done to her to get her into such a state?

Raitt stifled a curse and even Tharakan paled but the prince of Mittenden surprised them. He let out a loud crack of laughter.

"You will be perfect for me, my lovely one. I'll tame your proud spirit," he hissed.

Han's blood turned to ice.

Luke held Mara Jade plastered against him and he was staring at his audience with a cruel smile, his eyes glinting cold blue steel, blood trickled down his chin from the cut on his lip where Mara, struggling, had lashed out and caught him. She was a skilled undercover operative but Luke had felt no connection between them – no tug on their mutual Force bond. Whatever they'd given to her or done to her, Mara didn't know him.

Mara _didn't_ recognise the Jedi Master. As soon as she'd been released from her bonds, her natural instinct for self-preservation had made her try to flee her bonds. Her arms had lashed out catching Prince Aesophas on the edge of his well-shaped mouth. In her hazy sense of her reality, he was just another being who was confining her and all she could do was try and escape.

Only Han recognised Luke's pain leaking out of his royal disguise. The others only saw the prince as he raked his cold eyes up and down the slave's scantily clad form, lust showing briefly on his face, but Han could see far deeper and his concern grew.

The prince bent his head and captured the slave's soft lips with his own. The red-headed beauty whimpered and tried to struggle but was too weak and finally submitted to the mastery of the firm mouth dominating her overwhelmed senses. Luke felt her respond to his kiss and tried not to react but Mara Jade affected him strongly and always had. He forgot where he was and continued to kiss her, trying to imprint his identity into her mind. He emitted a groan of satisfaction as her mouth moved, sweet as wild berries under his. Did she know who he was now?

Mara fought the hard grip that clutched at her shoulders, the hard male body that pressed itself against her own, but then the lips covered hers and somehow everything felt safe. She sensed something and suddenly felt safe for the first time in weeks. Her mouth softened and opened, her response sending pinpricks of desire through her entire body. No, this couldn't be happening. She didn't want to press her softness against this man. Her senses overloading, Mara's consciousness shut down and she slumped lifeless into the arms that held her tightly against him.

Luke gazed down at the woman in his arms, a fierce light burning in his eyes. He had to pull himself together for all their sakes. He wiped the trail of blood off his face with the back of his hand and turned to stare at the others. "I want this one," he said as a strange, cold light flickered in his eyes. "See that she's ready for immediate transport."


	13. Part 13

**The Emerald Price Chapter 13**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

****

**Disclaimer: **- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you?

**_The Millennium Falcon – _****Elrooden Spaceport**

"We need to get out of here, fast," Han screamed as he raced to the cockpit of the _Millennium Falcon._

They'd wandered up the _Falcon's _ramp as if they'd had somewhere important to go but without making it appear as if they were attempting a desperate escape. Luke had strutted up the ramp first, followed by Han cradling a limp Mara Jade in his arms and finally, by Feenus Adremetis and his six men. 

Feenus knew that they would be tracked back to the spaceport and the manner of their exit observed. It meant that Feenus, Altra and their six associates had to leave Elrooden spaceport in the _Falcon._

It was a totally different story once the ramp closed behind them. Everything changed to frantic activity. "Han, I'll take Mara," Luke declared, the expression on his face brooking no argument, not that the Corellian would have argued in this case.

"Here!" Han had thrust a comatose Mara into Luke's arms. He had a ship to fly out of there -the quicker the better. Altra, thinking ahead, had already fired up the converters. The ship was ready to go. He slid into the pilot's seat and flashed her a quick look of thanks. Altra nodded and performed the co-pilot's duties as if she'd been flying in the _Falcon_ for as long as Luke and Chewie had.

"I already requested clearance as soon as Feenus said you were on your way."

"I've said it before - you are a brilliant woman."

Altra smiled. "I have my moments."

"Punch it!"

The ship leapt into the air and vanished into the sky. Han breathed a huge sigh of relief as Elrood was left far behind them. He couldn't believe they'd made it off planet without a hitch.

"I'll go and see how Luke's doing," Altra murmured. 

Han nodded, the expression on his face grim. "Yeah, if you could."

She strode purposefully into the crew area to find her husband and the rest of their people sitting with stunned expressions on their faces. They couldn't believe what they had just seen – couldn't believe these beings were so satisfied with the hi-tech horror they had created.

Feenus looked up into the warm, grey-green gaze of his wife, his face bewildered. "You should have seen the place, Altra. It's enormous. They have the potential to process thousands and thousands of slaves. I've never felt so sick in my life – not since I saw the second Death Star. What can we do against that?"

"We can't do anything against a setup like that," one of the men muttered.

"It's tougher than any Imp detention centre I've ever been in," stated another.

"You were the guard in the last Imperial detention centre we ransacked," someone said caustically. "You almost got us caught."

"I don't care what I did. I wouldn't want to be in that one as a guard or as a prisoner."

Altra looked around at her husband and her friends. "You're going to give up?"

"No… Never!" Feenus gritted.

"I didn't think so." She placed a tender hand on his shoulder. "Han and Luke have contacted people who will help us. Elscol Loro and Sixtus Quin are on their way. They're also going to speak to the New Republic Inner Council who can put pressure on the governments in this sector. It won't stop the slavery but it will make it much more difficult for them to operate. You never expected this fight to be an easy one, did you?"

"No." Feenus allowed his eyes to sweep around the group, his jaw firming, before he said quietly, "We have to destroy that place."

"And we will. You'll be okay." Altra's voice was brisk. "Now… Start thinking, guys. We need plans to stop these monsters. I want to see how Luke and his Jedi friend are doing."

"Not well." Feenus shook his head. "We were lucky to find her so easily. She could have already been sold and at the other end of the galaxy by now."

"Ah, but Luke knew she was there – he could sense her. Han says it's a Jedi thing. He told me Luke believes that there's no such thing as luck." Altra kissed Feenus gently on the forehead, her face sad. "And you still may not have reached her in time."

"Maybe not." Feenus shook his head again. "She's in a bad way and I don't think it looks good for her."

"Drugged?" she asked and then hesitated over the next word but it had to be said. "Raped?"

"The former certainly. I don't think she's been touched sexually. She'd been picked up by Tharakan's goons and you know he won't allow his people to touch his 'merchandise'," he replied derisively. "They do what he tells them to do or else."

"Yes, he'll sell them to the pleasure houses but won't allow his own people to touch."

"Luckily for her but unfortunately she has all the signs of the Leptas virus."

"Oh," Altra's face paled. "It's been rife on Aaris III. Remember, Beridor said so… Was it only a couple of hours ago?"

Feenus nodded. "That's where Tharakan's base is."

"It can be cured?" Altra asked. "I'd heard that it could be."

"If caught immediately and treated with the correct medication." Feenus shrugged listlessly. "She looked to be very weak and didn't stir at all on the return journey. It is therefore probable that most of Tharakan's slaves will have it and won't receive treatment in time."

"Yes, there's nothing we can do for the moment."

"I feel so helpless," Feenus's voice burst out frustratedly. "They'll probably all die."

Altra sighed and kissed Feenus again. There _was_ nothing they could do and it hurt. "Where is Mara Jade?"

"Skywalker took her to the crew quarters which doubles as the medibay. He's been with her since we took off."

Altra sighed. She suspected that the Jedi was in love with the beautiful red-headed woman even though he stubbornly maintained she was nothing but a friend. He didn't look at her with the eyes of a mere friend.  But it was none of her business. "Luke!" she called softly as she searched for the crew quarters. The Jedi was sitting on the deck plates of the ship surrounded by scarlet and gold Hapan silk, a med pack open beside him, staring at the woman on the bunk. His face was stricken.

"I'm sorry," whispered Altra, her stomach diving suddenly with dread. "She's not…?"

"She's not dead," Luke muttered fiercely. "She's fighting it."

"Of course," Altra murmured, unsure of what else to say.

"She is." He turned to face her, the desperate blue eyes holding an inner fire. "I won't let her die." He took a cloth and tenderly sponged Mara's face. For an instant her eyelashes flickered and she moaned.

"See," Luke glanced up at Altra, his face shadowed in the dim lighting. He pulled the fake golden beard from his face and ran his hand through his hair which had been flattened by the turban. "She's not the type to give in – not ever. I won't let her."

He looked grimly determined and yet so tired that Altra's heart went out to him. "I'll sit with her. You look as if you need to sleep. 

But the Jedi Master shook his head. "No, it's fine. I'm going to go into a healing trance to see if I can help her." He pulled his lightsaber from where it was still affixed to his chest and flung it away from him. It landed with a clatter somewhere in the corner of the crew quarters. 

Altra thought that this was a strange way to treat the honoured weapon of a Jedi Knight. "Luke, you're worn out. You were exhausted before this even started."

"I'm not leaving her. She wouldn't want to be with a stranger. No offence meant, Ma'am." Involuntarily Luke returned to formality to distance himself from Altra. This was none of her business and she could not be involved with Mara at this time. This was his place.

"But wouldn't you be able to help her more if you got some rest."

Luke shook his head. "She could be dying, Altra. I don't know if we were in time to save her. I don't know if I have the strength to help her. But I have to try and that's why I can't sleep – that's why I have to be with her. I have to do it now while she's still able to help. There will be time to sleep later on, whatever happens. It's in the hands of the Force and I have to put my trust in that. It should not be her time to go but who can say when our time will come. She's fought all her life for what she has. She will not give up. I won't let her."

As Luke repeated his words Altra nodded. "I understand." And she did, perhaps even more than the tired and grieving man before her. "I'll leave you after I've seen to your face."

"My face?"

"Your lip's been bleeding."

"Mara," he said with a tender smile. "She came out fighting as soon as they released her from the restraints. She was all arms, just hitting out anywhere and she connected. Hurts," he admitted. "She was always better than I in hand-to-hand combat."

Altra kneeled down beside him and searched through the med kit for some salve. "You'll live," she soothed, lifting his chin and deftly rubbed in the ointment as if he'd been a child. "There, that should ease things a bit." She stood up carefully. 

"Thank you," he said quietly.

Altra nodded, placing a comforting hand on the younger man's shoulder. It was strange how young and uncertain the Jedi had seemed just at that point. She'd had no experience of the Jedi and in front of her was a young man sitting by his gravely ill friend with no real idea what to do. Mara Jade was, as Feenus had said, in a very bad way indeed. She gravitated back to join her husband, deep in thought.

Han wandered into the cargo area. "The kid with Mara?"

Altra nodded.

"And?"

She shook her head. "I've only seen one or two cases of the virus but to me…" She spread her hands out helplessly. "It's not looking good for her."

Han's face stilled. "Aw, hell!"

"She's alive but…"

The Corellian closed his eyes for a moment. "Sith, I don't know what the kid will be like without her."

"She's still alive," Altra said. "Just."

"Yeah, but for how long?"

"We can't answer that."

"I know. The kid would say that it's in the hands of the Force."

"That's exactly what he did say. But a good medic would perhaps be better."

"I've seen the Force do some miraculous things," Han said quietly.

"Can it prevent death?"

"Not always, no." Han remembered the loss of Obi Wan, of Luke's father of many of their friends who had died in some wasteful way – of Alderaan.

"I sorted his face," Altra said.

"His face? Oh… yeah, Mara clocked him a right crack across the mouth. It really connected." He gave a wry grin. "That's Mara alright. She's the type to come out fighting whatever the situation."

"Beridor is waiting for us on Coyn."

"I noticed you already had a course laid in."

Altra gave a wry smile. "I hoped you wouldn't mind dropping us off – it won't take more than an hour out of your schedule. It would look rather suspicious that the security staff assigned to the Prince didn't leave Elrood with him."

"It would look very strange," Han tried to say cheerfully but Altra could tell his heart wasn't in it.

"Raitt and his cronies do have associates that ply their nefarious trade in the skies above Elrood."

"Yeah, I think we met some of them."

"You would have been watched right up to take off."

"You had no choice but I just hope that extra hour isn't fatal to Mara."

Altra sighed. "I know. Where are you meeting Mara's boss?" she asked.

"Karrde? He has a base on Czerip with a good medical facility. That's another day at least after we drop you off. He was at Eriadu last time I spoke to him."

Altra twisted her mouth and then relaxed, nodding her head thoughtfully. "Speak to Miko. He knows this area better than any of us and all the fastest routes."

"Miko?"

"Dark hair, swarthy complexion, sitting next to Feenus. Miko Banasch. Miko!" Altra called.

One of the men lifted his head. "Yeah?"

"Could you help plot the fastest route to Czerip for Han from Coyn?"

"Sure." 

The Corellian waved his hand tiredly. "You can use that terminal over there."

Miko moved to the navicomp and started working out figures and points on the map.

Han moved behind Miko but what he saw seemed to satisfy him. "I'd better go and see Mara and the kid."

Altra sighed. "He said something about a healing trance?"

"Probably for the best if it's the only way he can keep her alive. We daren't hypospray her with anything because we don't know what's already in her system."

"Feenus says quite a lot by the look of her and Luke agreed with him."

"They would both know. Luke and I… we've been in our share of tight spots throughout the years. We know what a spiced up prisoner looks like. The Alliance tended not to do that but it was standard Imperial interrogation procedure and for a short while Feenus worked in that area. He would know the procedure" 

"He hated working there but you're correct. Feenus said she looked as if they'd pumped her full of a narcotic cocktail. Han, she doesn't look like she's going to make it."

"So you keep saying but you can't be sure. I've seen a lot of strange things in my life and the most mysterious and marvellous of all is my brother-in-law's faith in the Force. We got her out and we'll just have to be patient. It would have been far worse for everyone concerned if we hadn't got to her at all. At least now she has a chance, albeit a slim one, but a chance nonetheless."

A chime sounded throughout the ship. Han moved to the console in the cargo area. "We're coming up on Coyn."

"Take us to the tip of the southern continent at this point location. That's where Beridor is waiting for us," Altra instructed holding out a pad with the data.

Han looked at Miko and the other men. He wanted to check on Mara and the kid but the sooner he got out of this sector the better. "Strap yourselves in guys, we're going to be landing very soon."

Feenus and Altra went with Han to the cockpit. Altra moved to navigation, letting Feenus sit in the co-pilot's seat.

Feenus stared out the viewport at the rapidly approaching planet. "We have a small base on Coyn. Sometimes we need to be off Elrood and we found this was a good stopping off point for Derilyn and Berea."

"These are the co-ordinates Luke sent to your friends Elscol Loro and Sixtus Quin." Altra smiled. "We'll wait for them here."

Han grinned back. "They're good people – driven but good. Luke knows them better than I do, to be honest. Elscol was one of the 'Rogues' for a while. Luke was Rogue Squadron's Commander for many years and still flew with the squadron occasionally after Wedge Antilles took over – that's how he knows her. Sixtus Quin is a former Imperial soldier with a cause. I think you'll get on fine. Reminds me of someone else I know." He winked at Altra.

Feenus managed a feeble snort.

Han flicked a couple of switches as he initiated the landing cycle. "They know what they're doing," he said.

The _Millennium Falcon_ touched down in front of a plain whitewashed stone building - a couple of small shuttles sat nearby. A tall, spare figure stood in front of the entrance. Beridor was waiting for them, his black eyes shining with emotion.

"You got her?" he gabbled quickly as soon as the ramp was lowered and the passengers began swiftly to exit. He was affected more than most by the freeing of another slave. 

Han nodded. "We got her but she's very ill."

"I'm actually surprised you pulled it off, to tell the truth," Beridor admitted. "You're sure they didn't suspect a thing?"

Feenus shook his head. "Not a thing."

Beridor held out his hand and shook Han's firmly. "You've helped us a great deal, Han Solo."

"We didn't do anything," Han protested. 

"On the contrary. Until now we had no idea of the true scale the syndicate was planning for their operations, nor the location and type of facility they had already built. We've been searching for large warehouses in the spaceport district."

"I'll speak to the New Republic and see if they can apply pressure to the ruling party. I can't promise anything, but I will speak to them."

"That is more than I could ever have hoped for."

Han held out a data card. "This card contains codes that will enable you to contact me or someone who will get in touch with me quickly. It also has the frequency of the transponder I left behind at their base."

"Thank you."

"I'd better haul jets. We're taking Mara to Czerip. She can get some proper medical attention there."

Altra stood waiting. "I said goodbye to Luke but I think he was already half-way into his healing trance. He didn't respond."

"I'll check on him as soon as we're airborne."

"Goodbye, Han. Let's not be such strangers next time."

"Sure." He pulled her into a hug. "Look after old Feen now."

"I will." She stepped back and pushed a strand of blond hair away from her face, her grey-green eyes serious.

Feenus stepped forward and held out his hand stiffly. "Thank you."

Han shook it. "No, there are no thanks needed. I think we had an even trade. I'm sorry we couldn't have done more."

"It's not your fight this time."

Han nodded. "Take care of Altra."

Feenus stepped back and saluted. "Clear skies, Solo."

Han swallowed and turned away disappearing into his beloved ship. Within seconds the ship was airborne and disappeared into the horizon.

Feenus placed his arm around his wife's shoulders and watched as the ship became a speck and finally vanished. "I'm sorry, Han," he whispered. "And I couldn't really say it."

"I think he knew." Altra leaned into her husband's embrace. "I think he knew." She held out a small bag. "He gave me these."

"What are they?"

"A couple of thermal detonators."

****

Han checked over the course Miko had plotted and gave an admiring little whistle. With their current trajectory, they would make the journey in half the time. They would be in Czerip in just under twelve hours. He laid in the course and then eased the lever back slowly sending the _Falcon_ into hyperspace. 

For a moment he sat just thinking about what they'd done. They'd flown from one end of the galaxy to the other searching for a single being amongst millions of worlds. They had found her surprisingly quickly but one thing _was_ puzzling him. 

What had Luke used to pay for Mara? It was quite clear he hadn't been given her as a free gift. The fake emerald from Jaina's toy crown had still been in Luke's turban when he'd returned to the _Falcon_. So what had Luke used? What had been Tharakan's price?

He had given Luke a small amount of semi-precious gems which he'd used to buy food and other necessary supplies but not enough to purchase a pleasure slave. Had the Jedi used the Force to hoodwink the slavers? Somehow he sensed that Tharakan and Raitt were not the kind of men to possess weak minds. Mara had been wrapped in a shimmering transparent cloth, her hands bound and placed in his arms. Luke had motioned his transport to leave and he had followed Tharakan and Raitt into a private room leaving Feenus waiting outside. When business was concluded Luke had climbed into the transport with Feenus attending him and they'd driven straight to the ship. Feenus had mentioned that everyone had looked very pleased with themselves – handshakes all round. So what did Luke use? He'd have to ask him.

He pulled himself from the pilot's chair and moved quickly to the crew quarters. Mara lay unconscious on the bunk, her colour high and her breathing oddly laboured. Luke appeared to be out cold on the floor still dressed in his black bodysuit but with the scarlet and gold silk half off and half on, surrounding him in a splash of vibrant colour.

"Kid!" Han shook him roughly, his heart leaping into his mouth. "Kid!"

Bewildered blue eyes flickered open. "Hey, Han… I just closed my eyes for a moment. Bit tired. When are we dropping off Altra and Feenus?"

Han's face froze for a moment as he tried to get his equilibrium back in order. "You're way behind on that kid. We lost them an hour ago."

"Oh!" he sat up, his head spinning. "They didn't say goodbye."

"They did - you were just not awake enough to notice."

"Did they – I can't remember." He was so tired but he couldn't rest yet, not when Mara was so ill. He reached out for Mara's Force sense and entwined his own signature around it. It pulsed weakly in his grasp. She was still there, still fighting. "We need to go into a healing trance. She can't put herself in one, she's not strong enough so I'll need to go in with her and I'm tired, Han, so tired. This is draining me as surely as it's draining her. I have to try and filter out some of the poisons they injected her with. Otherwise she won't last further than our next hyperspace jump. Try waking me in four hours."

"Whoa! Steady on, kid. If you're going into one of those Jedi sleeps, you'd better eat first.  A little energy will help. What about Mara?"

Luke fished into the open medpack at his side and produced a packet of capsules. "Just protein supplements. I'll dissolve them in some water and I have a drip feeder in there too." He rummaged again and found the sealed implement. "This should do the trick. I want to try and flush out some of the stuff they've pumped into her system. This is one way and the healing trance is the other. Look at her arms, Han. How… how could they?"

The Corellian did and recognised the signs of numerous injections. "Aw, stang!" he swore loudly. "Poor girl. Better not give her anything else until we get to Czerip. It will just add to the cocktail."

"How long before we reach Karrde's base?"

"About ten or eleven hours."

"It could be worse but that's a long time."

"Come on, kid. She'll not move for the next ten minutes." 

Luke bit his lip, indecision crossing his features. "I'd rather stay with her," he said in a small voice."

"She'll be in better hands if you've paid some attention to yourself. If you fall ill too, that will not be good for Mara." 

"Altra said that too," Luke mumbled.

"And she was right. Just ten minutes and then you can do what you have to." Han helped the Jedi Master to his feet and watched him walk rather unsteadily to the small galley. "Sit." He pushed Luke onto a stool and found a pack of ration bars. "Yummy!"

Luke managed a weary smile at the dark expression on Han's face. "These all seem to taste like flavoured cardboard."

"I thought you liked cardboard!" Han exclaimed. "You eat enough of them. Me – never liked them but they fill a space."

"We should have some real provisions, remember?"

"So we do." 

"Seems like a lifetime ago. Was it only yesterday?"

"I couldn't tell you, kid. Everything's kinda merged into one continuous blur." Han rummaged in an air-tight storage container and produced bread and some kind of sliced meat. "That's better."

"I'm not very hungry," Luke admitted. "But I know I need to eat and I wish everything could merge into a blur. I remember too much, Han…far too much." Luke's voice began to shake.

"Eat, kid." Han laid a comforting hand on the younger man's shoulder before busying himself at the small counter.

But Luke only managed several bites of the sandwich Han gave him.

"Here…" He pushed a steaming mug of hot chocolate into the Jedi's hands. "This will give you some energy. Drink it all and then you can go back to Mara."

"Yes, mother."

Han raised an eyebrow. "You're almost getting cheeky, hotshot. I'll let you get away with it now but don't make it a habit."

Luke gave a faint smile and sipped the warm drink. Han could tell that his mind was with Mara. "Go on, kid."  

Luke pulled himself up onto his feet. "Going."

"And kid, don't fall asleep on the floor this time. There are other bunks."

"Sure, Han." He was so tired that he wobbled alarmingly on his feet and grabbed the bulkhead for support with one hand, still clutching his drink with the other.

  
  
"Careful." Han stood up and offered him his arm for support, walking him back to the small cabin containing the crew bunks. "There you go, Junior." 

"What about you?" Luke sat on the bed opposite Mara and reached out a hand to touch the unconscious woman's face.

"I'll doze in the cockpit. I want to radio ahead to Czerip and tell them our expected arrival time."

"Okay." Luke swallowed the last of his drink and pulled a blanket from the bottom of the bunk, his eyes dark and heavy with denied sleep.  

"I'll wake you in ten hours."

"I'll be awake by then."

"We'll see." Han wasn't going to waste energy by arguing. Luke tended to be far more truculent if he was tired and Han reckoned that his brother-in-law was as tired as he'd ever seen him. He nodded and headed straight for the cockpit. As he had said, he wanted to radio ahead. Maybe Karrde had already reached Czerip.

****

Luke pulled off the top half of his black, skin tight, body suit, revealing his lightly tanned chest. Moving to the 'fresher, he collected a small basin, a sponge and also popped one of the protein capsules into the tiny water-filled feeder. Returning to Mara's side he ran his hands over her forehead, and was distressed at how much heat was coming off her. "Mara, it's Luke," he whispered. "Come on, Jade. I need you to keep fighting. Please, Mara. It's not your time." He dipped the sponge in the basin and began to gently work the cloth over her heated body. As he did so, Mara moaned in pain as if he was hurting her. His movements stilled. He hadn't known that his touch felt like a thousand stabbing knives.

He gently ran his fingers over her lips and slid the feeder between them, letting the water trickle into her mouth. Just a little sip, she was bound to become dehydrated otherwise. The liquid left the little tube, one precious drop at a time. His lip curled disgustedly at the lack of clothing they'd made her wear, every curve of her magnificent body had been open to far too many eyes. Luke burned with anger at the thought. 

He'd once heard Leia speak of the time she'd been forced into wearing a revealing costume when she'd been Jabba's slave. She'd hated it – had found it demeaning and degrading and he knew Mara had too. He placed the feeder in the basin and then rummaged in a storage locker under the bunk until he found an old shipsuit of Leia's plus some spare undergarments. This would do for later on.

Mara moaned suddenly. "Luke… help me." Her eyes opened, shining like two emerald green jewels.

"I'm here, Mara!" he said quietly but her eyes were glazed and he knew she wasn't seeing him. "I'm here and you're safe now. I won't leave you."

"Luke…not Lando." She shivered convulsively.

"It's Luke," he murmured. Did she want Lando? His heart jumped – was she getting worse?

"Luke…"

"I'm here." He pulled off the rest of his body suit and climbed into the bunk with Mara pulling the blanket over them both and easing her into his side. She seemed to quieten, her movements less frantic. Taking her hand in his and trying to ignore the sensations as her body curved against him as if they'd been formed as a single being, Luke eased them both into a trance.


	14. Part 14

**The Emerald Price Chapter 14**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

****

**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you?

**The _Millennium Falcon_**

****

Han had slept for at least six or seven hours when the buzzer woke him in time to check the next course correction. His face lit up with satisfaction as he noted that they had travelled as far as Miko had anticipated they would. He checked the instruments, noted their location and then leaned back thoughtfully in the pilot's chair.

His face tightened as he thought of everything those monsters had done to Mara Jade. What was more worrying was the expression on the kid's face when he'd seen what had happened to the red-haired trader. Luke had been acting his part as the spoiled prince of Mittenden and had not let that act drop but for a moment Han could have sworn that the guise had slipped and molten fury had flashed in his friend's blue eyes.

Han had seen Luke at his best and at his worst. Luke confronted with an abused Mara Jade was the worst he had ever seen. Luke's empathy for others had always been both his strength and his weakness. His love for his friends and family would drive him to recklessness even Yoda wouldn't have dreamed of but what would Luke be driven towards if Mara Jade died. He didn't even want to contemplate that scenario.

He quickly encoded a quick message to Leia and the kids and sent it off, hoping it would get to them soon. The last time he'd performed a major overhaul to the _Falcon, _Leia had made sure that the array had been upgraded so that they were the best that the New Republic had to offer. However, there were still dark areas in the galaxy where it didn't matter how good your equipment was – gas clouds, ion storms and the like, and miles from the nearest relay stations – it all helped to delay messages. Still, Han believed that Leia would get the message eventually.

He cast his experienced eye over all the little flickering lights and quietly beeping systems and gave the ship an affectionate pat on the bulkhead. "You're sounding good, old girl," he soothed gently. He could feel the reassuring thrum of her engines as it sped towards Czerip. He knew if there was one beat out of place in the _Falcon's _engines. "Better go look at the kid and Mara," he mumbled, getting to his feet and stretching to get rid of some of the knots he'd acquired whilst dozing in the pilot's chair.

For a moment the Corellian couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. Luke and Mara were wrapped together in the same bunk. Mara's hair, freed from its elaborate hairstyle, curled in a tangled, knotted mess with faint dull dark traces of dried blood visible as it spilled over the blanket, and Han peering closer could see bruises against her creamy skin. Luke's arms were around her, holding her close. The kid was keeping her as safe as he could - trying to help her to survive.

Both of the Jedi, however, didn't look peaceful. Han had seen his brother-in-law in a healing trance on a number of occasions. Luke was almost as pale as Mara was flushed. Beads of sweat on her forehead indicated the amount of heat coming off her body. She coughed faintly and muttered something.

"Luke, buddy," Han whispered. "I think you better wake up."

****

Luke had slipped into a healing trance, his fingers gently caressing Mara's soft skin. He could feel the infection racing through her body and he grabbed hold of it and tried to wrestle it into submission. He could feel every aching part of her body, how her skin felt on fire, how every movement felt like someone was stabbing vibroshivs into her heart. Luke absorbed everything, sharing her pain.

Suddenly he found himself in a small dark room. A little girl lay alone in a large bed. Luke found himself sitting on the edge of the child's bed, staring into her face. She opened large emerald green eyes and stared at him with an intensity that he recognised. He guessed that she couldn't have been more than five or six years old.

"Have you come to look after me?"

He noted the red-gold hair in two tight braids. Was this what Mara had been like as a child? "Do you need someone to look after you?" he asked.

"No," the child declared with a set expression. "My guardian tells me I am self-suff… self-suff… He tells me I don't need anyone but him."

"But everyone needs friends and family."

"He says I don't need friends or family. I have him. I've never had anyone else."

"What? Never?"

"No."

Luke picked the small hand off the quilt and smoothed his fingers across the soft skin. "I'll be your friend. I never had many friends while I was growing up either. Whatever happens you have my friendship – everyone needs someone they can rely on."

"I don't understand." The child's forehead furrowed with concentration.

"You will one day." Luke could almost see her mind turning over his words, considering and then rejecting them.

"I still don't understand. What is this rely?

"One day you will need help."

"I don't need help. I will do it on my own."

Luke could have wept. Had she learned to be alone so young?

"I've been sick," she confided suddenly in the manner of small children. "They wouldn't come near me till I'm better. They said I was contag…" She stared up at his face. "They always use big words but I know what they mean."

"Contagious?" Luke asked.

"That's the word the droid used. Means they can catch what I have and then they will all die."

Luke blinked as the child's voice was filled with venom. "But that's not very nice," he chided softly.

"You don't get better by being nice. You have to fight and be as mean as they are. Why should I be nice?"

"Because you'll feel better inside," Luke assured her. "You'll never be as mean as they are."

"But I have to be." The small vision of Mara cried desperately. "I have to be or I won't be anything. I won't succeed. Do I have to give up fighting? I don't want to die. Am I going to die?"

"I won't let you die. I won't ever let you stop fighting. You have to fight to keep that good part of you alive. Sure, you can be a fighter but be a better one. You don't have to be mean to be strong. Don't let them take anything away from you. One day I'll look after you and keep you safe."

"You promise?" The green eyes fringed by long dark red lashes pleaded with him and Luke was no more immune to that gaze than he was to its more adult version.

"I promise," Luke answered.

Suddenly the vision darkened and it grew cold as if evil had entered the room.

"You can not keep your promises, son of Skywalker. This child is my servant and if she has to die to keep her from you, then so be it." The voice was terrifyingly familiar and Luke turned his head not wanting to see what he knew was there - the dark side in the figure of Emperor Palpatine, his yellow eyes vicious.

"You are a manifestation of her illness - of what her life was. This is what she has to fight. She has to fight your memory and what you did to her every day of that life."

"Then I have won but what about you, son of Skywalker?"

"You'll never win. Mara serves the light side. She never succumbed to the dark side despite your best efforts. She is stronger than you think she is and has earned the right to be free of your evil forever." This was some nightmare he was having.

"So you say but what do you have to fight for? What rights do you have?" The voice had changed, become charmingly insistent. "What about the pleasures of the flesh…enough money to enjoy yourself? What about having a woman love you…? What about having a _family_?"

With a shock Luke found himself staring into Lando Calrissian's dark eyes but he was convinced that Lando would never talk like this. This was the work of the dark side attacking him when he was at his weakest through his dreams. Lando was no more suited to setting up home with a woman than Luke was. The difference was, that one day Lando would want all these things and be able to have them. "I don't fight my friends," he maintained stoutly. "If Mara is happy with you then that's what I want for her."

"But you want her for yourself," Lando's image suggested.

"No, I want Mara to be happy. I want what's best for Mara. My destiny runs along a different path."

"You think so?" The voice was cool, the manner suave. "I think you're fooling yourself, Skywalker."

Luke turned around to stare at the child in the bed and found that it was the adult woman who lay there, her eyes closed. She lay motionless almost as if she was dead. The figure of Lando walked towards her and pushed the Jedi Master out of the way bending over her to kiss her.

"No, Lando. No." the woman pleaded without opening her eyes. "This isn't real. Keep away from me. I don't want you – I never have. Where's Luke?"

She didn't want Lando – he knew she didn't. Luke moved back towards the bed and reached out to pull Lando away from Mara but found he couldn't. Someone had grabbed Luke's shoulder and was shaking him roughly.

 "Luke, buddy," Han's voice intruded into the nightmare.

"No, I've got to…"

"Luke, buddy. I think you'd better wake up."

What? He was still asleep? Luke opened his eyes, twisted around and stared into the concerned hazel gaze of his brother-in-law. "Han?"

"Yeah, kid. I came through to see how you both were doing and to be honest, I don't like the look of Jade, here." He didn't say that he wasn't too sure about the health of the Jedi either. Luke's face was almost as white as the snows of Hoth. Han was sure he'd been lightly tanned when they'd left Coruscant.

Luke sat up and swayed as the blood rushed to his head.

"Careful, kid."

"I'm okay, Han. This is taking a lot out of me. Just give me a moment to regroup."

Han thrust a ration bar into his hand. "Eat this and no arguing."

"Wait." He put his hand out and felt Mara's forehead. She was now cold, her forehead clammy. Little shivers ran through her body constantly. "I'd better try and get some more fluid down her."

Han nodded his head. "I agree with you but I'll deal with that and you eat that ration bar. Don't make me feed you like I would Anakin."

"You wouldn't."

Han gave his brother-in-law the stare that had all three of his children immediately obeying their father. He picked up the little feeder and trickled more liquid into Mara's mouth.

Reluctantly Luke took a bite of the ration bar. "How long until we get to Czerip and can this bucket of bolts go any faster?" he asked with his mouth full.

"Did your aunt never tell you not to speak with your mouth full?" Han was in full parenting mode. "I'll forget you said that about my ship, Junior. I'll see what I can do. We must be about four hours away."

****

**Czerip, Talon Karrde's Base**

"Boss, the _Wild Karrde _is being prepped for immediate return to Coruscant?"

"That's correct, Aves." Talon Karrde exited the ramp and headed for a small squat building up ahead, barely visible through some trees. "As soon as Solo and Skywalker arrive here with Mara, we're getting her checked over and then turning and heading straight for Coruscant. Our Doctor and medical droids are amongst the best but Coruscant has all the facilities and the specialists if we need them.

"And you think we will need them."

"Yes."

"I'll make sure we're ready to depart in two hours at the most."

"Thanks, Aves. Let's get inside and see the crew. Haven't seen them for months. Plus, I have one or two calls to make."

Karrde paced the length of his office. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been on Czerip but was impressed at the way the skeleton crew manned the base. Truth be told, he had a couple of men and their wives keep an eye on the place and in return, they and their families had housing and work. He stared out of the window at a couple of children racing around a small garden, laughing in the sunshine. He would make a point of staying here the next time he had business in this sector.

Dankin slouched as he walked in, his hands in his pockets. "Any word from Skywalker and Solo?"

Karrde shook his head. "Not since Solo radioed to say that they'd found her and were on their way."

"I've got the medical droid programmed researching everything that there is to find about the Leptas virus. Skywalker thinks that Mara's been infected."

"So Han said. However our current doctor is an expert on the Leptas Virus, having lived on a colony that was almost completely wiped out by an outbreak several years ago. It is extremely deadly but curable if caught in time."

"Boss!" Dankin monitoring incoming traffic raised his voice. "We have a signal."

Karrde peered at the monitor. "Is it the _Falcon?_"

_"Millennium Falcon _to Czerip base." Han's anxious voice crackled through the com-unit.

"Receiving you, Solo." Karrde grabbed the microphone out of Dankin's hands.

"We are approaching the system now. We will be with you in under an hour. Have the medic ready." Han's voice was grim. "And I mean ready."

"Understood." Karrde gave Dankin back the microphone. "Get the doctor up and as soon as we get the true picture of Mara's condition we're on our way to Coruscant. I don't like what I can hear in Solo's voice."

The men were running towards the Falcon with a flotation bed hovering alongside them before the ship had even landed. The ramp lowered slowly, steam hissing slightly as Luke Skywalker rushed down the slope towards them holding Mara in his arms.

"Hurry!" he gasped. "She's got worse in the last hour."

Karrde swallowed quickly and nodded towards a small, balding man in a white coat. "This is Dr. Maxel. He's an expert on the Leptas virus."

"I hope he's also an expert on the kind of drugs a slave lord would pump into someone to keep them quiet," Luke's voice was so harsh it was almost unrecognisable from his usual calm tones.

"He is. Why do you think he's working for me and not in a top Core World hospital?"

"I don't want to hear why. I'll take your word that he's good," Luke snapped.

"Easy, kid," Han said as he came down the ramp and stood at the bottom watching Luke move quickly towards the strange flat shaped building.

The doctor swallowed as he saw the state of his patient.  "Put her down…"

"It will be quicker if I carry her. Come on, where's the medbay."

"This way." The doctor turned and ran inside.

Luke's Jedi enhanced strength was working overtime; he was using it both to keep Mara alive and to carry her. He knew it was a drain on his resources but he didn't want to let her go even though he knew that Karrde employed only the best people. He would have to trust in them and the Force.

When Luke finally let go of Mara, he couldn't believe how empty his arms felt. "I want to stay with her," he said.

"Luke, let the doctor do his work," Han murmured. "They don't need you hovering over them."

"But…"

"But nothing," Han's voice was firm. "You're about ready to collapse yourself. What good will you be to Mara if you don't take care of yourself?"

"But…"

"Do as you're told for once in your Jedi life, kid." He raised his voice. "Karrde!" Han looked around for the smuggler chief.

The smuggler stood conversing urgently with Dankin and Aves. "The _Wild Karrde _will be ready… Yes, Solo."

"Is there somewhere the kid can crash for an hour?"

"I'm fine," Luke insisted but he found that his legs had turned wobbly and he needed the wall to help hold himself upright. "See to Mara."

Karrde looked at Han who rolled his eyes. They were gravely concerned about Mara but Luke collapsing on them too would not aid matters. The Jedi Master looked exhausted. "You can rest in here, Luke. We'll call you if anything happens."

Luke nodded as his will succumbed to the lure of a bed. "Okay."

He eased his iron grip on the Force that was lending him strength. Suddenly all the nervous tension that had kept him going for so long vanished and his knees buckled. "Whoa, kid!" Han and Talon immediately were on either side, their hands under his elbows supporting him as they marched him to the room the smuggler chief had pointed out. Within minutes Luke was flat out on a floatation bed and sound asleep.

"Thanks," Han said as the door slid closed behind them. "He's very obstinate and he's certainly not 'fine'. Stubborn son of a sith."

"Come on, I would suspect you are in need some refreshments? This way." Karrde ushered Han into a brightly decorated lounge area.

"That would be good," Han admitted subsiding into a comfortable looking armchair.

"You don't seem to be as tired as Skywalker."

"I got several hours of undisturbed sleep there and back. He's been keeping Mara going by using his own strength and he came for Mara back to back after a couple of nasty missions for the New Republic." Han also didn't say to Karrde that he wasn't as tired as Luke because, unlike the Jedi Master, he wasn't emotionally tied to Mara's fate.

"I didn't know he was back doing missions for the NR. Two cafs, Preta," he told the pretty woman who was waiting for them. She poured the dark bitter liquid into large earthenware mugs, smiled and left them alone. Karrde handed one of the steaming vessels to the Corellian.

"Thanks," he said appreciatively as he took a careful sip of the hot brew. "It's not your fault that Luke is a law unto himself. He knew Jade was in trouble and nothing or no one would have stopped him from going after her. He can feel her presence very strongly. I suspect Mara is unaware of how strongly." The hazel eyes he raised to the smuggler chief were worried.

"I could see that being a problem, yes," Karrde admitted.

"He guided us through hyperspace twice as fast that the holobooks state the journey time should be. Managed to upset some of the local thugs and instigated some sort of incident and then he played prince to get Mara out of the smugglers' den. We were lucky. If Mara and Luke didn't have this connection I don't think we would ever have found her."

Karrde gave a tired sigh. "You're right."

"Why didn't Calrissian go with her?"

Karrde shifted his feet and looked uncomfortable. "Well!"

"Business?" Han spit out.

"He's in the middle of some big deal but Solo…"

"He'd better be there for Jade when they get back to Coruscant or Luke will be after him with his lightsaber."

"Uh! Yes." The normally articulate Karrde seemed to be lost for words. "Look, Solo… There's something you need to know about…" But what Karrde was about to say was not completed. His comlink sounded. "Yes?"

Han waited anxiously; he guessed that the message was about Mara.

Karrde clicked off his com. "The doctor's come out of the operating theatre. He's on his way here now."

A moment later the small man arrived wearing an anxious expression.  "I'm sorry boss but…"

"Mara _is_ going to be all right?" Karrde queried sharply.

The doctor held out his hands. "I don't know. I've done what I can and she's still alive. I've managed to stabilize her condition somewhat but it would be best if she was put into stasis and transferred immediately to Coruscant. I ran an analysis of the stuff she has in her system and I'm surprised she's not dead already."

Karrde's face darkened and fury coloured his voice. "I'll get them for this. Once I find out exactly who they are…"

"Karrde, we know who they are," Han explained patiently. "A former colleague of mine is dedicating his life to ending their little games and other measures are also in motion. They won't get away with it."

"I'll make sure they don't." Guilt ate at him. "It's my fault she was out there in the first place."

"Your fault…Talon…" Han tried to reassure the other man.

"Where is Master Skywalker?" Doctor Maxel enquired. "There are a couple of specialists on the Leptas Virus at the Manarai Medical Centre and if Master Skywalker were to have access to one of his Jedi healers…"

"He's still sleeping, I hope," muttered Han. "He kinda wilted on us."

"He is okay?"

"Well…" Han hesitated. The kid really disliked being poked and prodded by medical personnel but perhaps the doctor should check him over. He stared at Karrde, a glum look on his face. "Luke… he's been filtering off some of her toxins or something  - it's a Jedi trick and he's tired. He went into a healing trance with Mara on the ship. She couldn't do it by herself and he shared his strength with her. But he also said he would try to filter out whatever they'd put into her."

"Oh, stars!" muttered the doctor. "Some of the medication used could have permeated his own system. I wish I knew more about the Jedi healing arts. I read about how the Mon Calamari Jedi healer drew a bowl of poison from Mon Mothma. I should really take a look at Master Skywalker."

"Good luck," Han's voice was sardonic but his face was worried.

The doctor's comlink chirruped. "Doctor Maxel," he said. "Our patient is ready for transport."

Karrde stood up. "Good."

"I'll go wake the kid…"

"No need." Luke stood at the door, his face still looking tired and with his hair standing on end. "I sensed Mara was being moved. Can I sit with her until you're ready to go?"

Karrde looked at Han who gave a slight nod. "I don't see a problem with that. As soon as Karrde goes, we'll go too. No use hanging around here."

"Fine." Luke breathed a sigh of relief at not being parted from the red-haired woman quite yet.

"She's been put in stasis for the time being," Maxel said.

"I guessed that would be the best way for her to travel." Luke yawned and then with the homing instinct of a Tirellian hawk, spotted the pot of caf on the heating plate at the back of the lounge. "May I?"

"Help yourself."

Luke poured himself a caf and drained it swiftly. "I needed that," he gasped as the hot liquid revitalised some of his energy. "I'll go and see Mara now."

"Sure, kid."

Luke moved quickly from the room and found Mara's stasis chamber in the medbay. "Hello, Jade," he murmured. "Hold on and keep fighting. I want to be able to train you properly one day." His hands splayed out over the pod-like container. Luke tried to sense the woman within but could not. "I couldn't say this anywhere else and I suppose I couldn't say it if you were able to turn your blaster on me, but Lando doesn't deserve you. He should have been with you to keep you safe – not that you like to be protected. I know that you don't. If things had been different and I was the kind of man that you… I could have loved you," he whispered. His head drooped and he laid it down on the chamber. "Oh, Mara… just knowing you're safe…I love you," he whispered, his heart full. "'Could have' doesn't even come close. I love you enough to want you to be well and happy. Just please…" His voice broke. "Don't leave me."

Han found him five minutes later sitting by the side of the stasis chamber. "They're ready to load her up."

"Sure, Han."

"We'll meet them on Coruscant?"

"Yes."

"Luke… Wouldn't it be a good idea to have the doctor just check that you're okay?"

"No." The word emerged flatly.

Han backed off. "Okay, just asking."

Luke turned his head and stared at the Corellian. "What's happening to _The Jade's Fire?"_

"Mara's ship! I'd forgotten about that. It must still be on Elrood."

"But Mara wasn't on Elrood. Tharakan's base of operations was on… Aaris III, I think that's what Altra said."

"We'd better tell Karrde."

"Tell me what?" Karrde stood at the door of the medical facility with some of his crew standing behind him ready to supervise the stasis chamber's transference onto its repulsorlift jets for moving into the _Wild Karrde._

"Mara's ship," Luke said. "It's on a planet called Aaris III."

Karrde tugged at the end of his beard thoughtfully. "I can't go back for it just now. Obviously we have to get Mara to the best medical help immediately but I can contact the spaceport and get them to contain the ship until we can claim it."

"Until _Mara _can claim it herself," Luke said fiercely.

****

**Coruscant**

Leia, Chewbacca and the children were waiting for Han and Luke as the Falcon touched down eight days later. Luke had again mapped a route for them using the Force, gaining them two extra days.

"Han!"  Leia had thrown herself into his arms, the children clustering around them.

Luke watched with a small smile on his face and waited for the attention to turn to him. Leia kissed her husband and then held out her arms and Luke walked forward until he felt the familiar love and warmth surrounding him. He'd said it many times before and it was true. Home was where Leia was.

"You're sick," "Leia pulled back and stared at her brother critically. "No… don't argue. I can feel it."

"His sense is all wobbly," Anakin proclaimed, giving his uncle a critical stare.

"I think his legs are wobbly too," Jacen pronounced.

"But he's walking on his own," Jaina protested. "Usually, Uncle Luke has to be carried to the hospital."

"Bacta dip," chanted the boys with gleeful satisfaction. They knew their uncle hated the bacta dip.

Luke swore inwardly, he thought he'd done a good job of hiding his illness from his brother-in-law but Leia and the children were more difficult to fool. He couldn't be shielding himself very well. His head drooped. "I'm…" he started to mumble his usual phrase.

"You are not." Leia glared at him. "Honestly."

"I'm sorry, Leia," Han apologised. "I thought he was more than just tired but…"

"It's not your fault, Han. If he wants to hide it from you he can but it's much harder to hide from me." Fire snapped from her dark eyes.

"You don't have the Force, Han. That's how she knew," Luke said weakly. "Anyway I know what it is and I'm prepared to go quietly." He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Just tell them no bacta, right." He levelled a stern glare at Jacen and Anakin.

"Hmm," his sister said. "We'd better get you checked too," she said to her husband.

"He had the shots for it last year," Luke said. "He's okay. I forgot to get them."

"You forgot…!" Leia's voice started to rise.

Enlightenment dawned. "Ah, I see." Han shook his head. "Get him into the Manarai. They can practise on him before Mara gets there. Leptas virus?"

"I think so," Luke coughed. "My throat's quite painful and I feel a little dizzy."

"Mara?" Leia questioned.

"They should be two days behind us but I think the kid, here, sent Karrde his updated travel plans. So I think they'll get here tomorrow. They put Mara into stasis for the journey. That's who he got the virus from." Han's mouth straightened into a flat line. "We can tell the medics to be ready for her."

"Oh," Leia closed her eyes in sudden understanding.

"Come on, kid." Han pushed the Jedi Master into the speeder, pulled the children in and grinned at the Wookiee. "First stop, Luke's usual room in the Manarai Medical centre."

Chewbacca gave a growling chuckle and said something which made Han laugh.

"That's true, pal. It will be unusual for them to see him walking in on his own two feet."

The whole family interrupted into merriment which Luke would have appreciated if he didn't all of a sudden feel really strange. "Han," he managed to say quietly. "Make sure Lando is there for Mara. I told Karrde if he wasn't there I'd vape him out the nearest airlock and I don't care if that's the dark side talking."

"I'll remind him or better still, I'll get Lando myself."

"Yeah," Luke huddled into his Jedi cloak, oblivious to the worried glances his sister was sending his way as Chewie piloted the speeder into the teeming lanes of Coruscant traffic.

The Manarai Medicentre was the most prestigious private clinic in the whole of the Core Worlds and Luke Skywalker was one of their most celebrated patients when he could be dragged inside. Leia marched into the building first and immediately several white clad attendants came rushing out.

"I can walk," Luke snapped and coughed as a burning pain hit his chest. 

"Sure you can, Junior."

"I don't need…"

"You do. Kids, stay with Chewie in the speeder."

"But daddy, can't we…?" Jaina whined.

"No, you can see Uncle Luke again tomorrow." Han placed an arm under Luke's elbow and supported him into the building. "One foot after another. Left… right…. left…"


	15. Part 15

**The Emerald Price Chapter 15**

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**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you?

**Manarai Medical Centre, Coruscant**

Mara Jade lay pale and motionless in a darkened room in the Manarai Medical centre. An impressive array of medical equipment surrounded the still woman, lights flickering on and off as they monitored her every breath. The medical droid hovered around her bed, his repulsorlift jets silent as he scrutinised the readings gauging his patent's condition. Her eyelids fluttered slightly but her eyes did not open. Noting this, the droid took one last reading and hummed with satisfaction before whisking himself out of the room.

The private visitor's lounge in the Manarai Medical Centre, reserved for the most privileged of the New Republic's elite, was located on the three hundred and fiftieth level. It was a plushly appointed room. With deep carpets and brightly hued soft furnishings and facilities for making and serving refreshments, it catered to some of the most famous beings in the galaxy. A droid station and a desk sat in one corner with several doors leading to offices and a corridor where several patients' rooms were situated.

Talon Karrde wandered in and sat down. This was the fourth day that he'd visited and as yet there had been little improvement in Mara's condition. The doctor had merely said she was holding her own. That had to be good. What else could it be? Doctors! Talon snorted. They spoke a completely different language.

As if by magic one of the doors opened and an attractive human female, dressed in a crisp lemon uniform, entered and smilingly approached the smuggler chief.

"Your associate is much better today, Captain Karrde. The doctors are very pleased with her. You will be able to see her after the doctor has finished his round."

"Has she…?"

"Regained consciousness?" The woman's smile dimmed a little. "No, not yet. I'm sorry but her vital signs are much improved and she has regained much of the strength she had lost. We are expecting a change in the coming few days."

"'Coming few days,'" he repeated. "Then she's out of danger?"

"Oh, yes." The woman smiled brightly again, all gleaming white teeth, able to dispense good news once more and retreated to the door of her office.

Talon examined the tips of his comfortable, well-worn leather boots. It had been touch and go for quite a few days as Mara had struggled for her life. Not only had she been suffering from the Leptas virus, she had been injected with a lethal dosage of drugs, some of which were illegal in half the galaxy. Her body had been covered with cuts and bruises that only came with a severe beating. Karrde's fingers clenched – he'd felt so helpless. No one messed with his people. He would make sure that these savages paid for the treatment meted out to Mara Jade.

Talon lifted his head as he heard voices approaching. He slouched further into the comfortable chair ready to appear to be sleeping. That woman wasn't coming back was she? His face lit up in a relieved smile as Leia and Han walked in.

"Hey! I didn't know you were visiting Mara today," he remarked jovially.

"We're not. Well, we are… but we're not."

Leia looked at her husband and shook her head. "What nerfherder means…"

"Hey!"

"What my _husband_ is trying to say is…" She paused. "I suppose you haven't noticed the lack of a certain brother of mine refusing to stray from Mara's bedside? We've been coming here every day too but at a slightly earlier time."

"Yeah, we're late because…"

"Han, Talon doesn't need to know what Anakin managed to do to the security droid."

Karrde frowned. "Now that you mention it, I hadn't noticed your brother's absence. I never even stopped to think about it. Where is Luke?" He realised that he'd been so worried about Mara that he hadn't noticed Skywalker's absence and in the light of the Jedi's feelings about his second-in-command, it was rather surprising. Did Solo and Skywalker's sister suspect how strongly the Jedi regarded Mara? He wasn't sure but neither of them were fools.

"He's in here," Han supplied, glumly waving his hand at the pastel shaded walls.

"What!"

"He's a patient here. I think he's in the next room to Jade. Would you believe that he caught the virus from her? He's been overdoing things – so what's new as far as Luke's concerned? When he went into the healing trance to keep Mara alive he caught the virus from her. He didn't have the strength to keep Mara alive _and _fight off the infection."

Karrde swore. "I did think he was looking tired but he refused to let my doctor examine him on Czerip."

"I don't think it would have made any difference," Leia commented ruefully as she sat down. "My brother has been in most medical centres in the known galaxy. It's given him a healthy dislike of the medical profession."

"All they've done is try to heal him."

"And they've succeeded but he doesn't quite see it that way. He still harbours an aversion to medical treatment. Or perhaps it's not the medical profession that he dislikes. It's the being ill and confined to quarters more than anything else that he hates. He's recovering fast and bitterly complaining but that's because he's on the mend. He wanted out yesterday but the 2-1B said no. I threatened to leave him with Threepio as a guard when he intimated that he would just leave despite the consequences. That shut him up pretty quickly."

"'Jedi Skywalker has caused himself much ill-usage,'" Han recited in an accurate portrayal of the sing-song voice of the chief medical droid at the centre. "'He will have to remain with us until we are certain that he is no longer damaging himself.'"

"I thought my brother was about to turn to the dark side there and then," Leia said with a grimace. "But tell me, how is Mara?"

"Holding her own. That's what the doctor and the nurse both told me. To be honest, there's been little visible change but she has gained strength. We had an anxious time when we first got her here. For the first few days I don't think anyone, including the doctors, expected her to make it. The woman I spoke to a moment ago seemed far more optimistic. They are expecting her to return to consciousness in a couple of days. At least that's what she had been told. I suppose I should believe her." He tugged at his goatee and turned to look at Han. "I want to thank you and Luke for what you did for Mara. I owe you…"

Leia shook her head. "Don't mention it. I know my brother and Han are just glad she's alive and recovering. As long as Mara will be…"

Han interrupted his wife. "I spoke to Luke last night and he was wondering… well, _we_ were wondering. How much will Mara remember of her ordeal?"

"I was wondering about that too," said Karrde.

"Luke doesn't think that she'll be able to recall much at all but as I said, 'This is Mara Jade we're talking about.'"

"That's what I'm worried about," Karrde agreed, his fingers tugging at his beard.

Leia sat forward in her seat. "You told me she was unconscious when you picked her up. She's been in stasis or under sedation ever since."

Han looked at his wife. "Mara will remember her capture and probably the first few weeks of her incarceration but after that her memories will increasingly become more muddled, more confused."

"That's true," Karrde agreed. "You didn't think she was aware of you when you found her on Elrood?"

"No, she wasn't. Just reacting acting on adrenalin and instinct."

"Mara's a fighter. If they were feeding her the kind of things I was fed when the Empire captured me all those years ago, she may never remember it all. Parts of my memories are still so clear and the rest…" Leia's face grew troubled. "…a complete blur. I hope she never remembers her time in the slave pens. When I was one of Jabba's slaves it wasn't so bad. I knew that Luke was coming for me," she said simply. "I still had hope and that is a very powerful thing to have."

Han glanced again at his wife. "There's no need to ask her about her experiences. I don't want you to say anything to Mara and neither does Luke. We discussed it."

"But…"

Han lifted a hand to silence the smuggler. "We're serious. The less Mara is reminded of this ordeal, the better. If she remembers anything at all, we'll be there to help. Or rather, Luke will deal with it. He's the Jedi Master."

"We have to tell her something," Karrde protested.

"Let her ask the questions. There's no need to prompt her memories unnecessarily. She will have enough to face when she wakes up and so will you."

"Me?" Karrde wondered. "Why me? I wasn't the one kidnapped, drugged and beaten."

Leia nodded, her mouth forming a straight line. "You will have to deal with her anger, her vulnerability, the realisation that's she's human, can be exposed to danger, that she can make mistakes and be caught in situations that are not of her choosing. She's dealt with conflict like this before but every experience is different. There are always repercussions. I agree with Han and Luke on this."

Han sighed. "I get the feeling that Mara will be happier if fewer people know what happened to her. The _Wild Karrde_ crew…"

"I didn't tell them very much. Aves, Dankin and one or two others know the truth. As far as most of them are concerned, she got mixed up in something out on the rim, caught an infection and we went to pick her up." He sighed heavily, suddenly weary. "I suppose you're right."

"She's been a little strange around Luke since she started her relationship with Lando," Leia said thoughtfully. "I thought I was imagining things at first and they'd had just another quarrel but I'm not. There's something going on between them that they're trying to avoid. Luke… he's…"

The door slid open and a repulsorchair floated in. "I told them I could walk but they made me take the chair," Luke complained but his face lit up as his sister stopped what she was saying and bent down to kiss his cheek.

"Hey, kid. You look better," Han greeted him with a huge grin. "What was the saying? Ready to pull the ears off as gundark?"

"I feel better but not ready for gundark ear-baiting," he muttered as he tugged at the black robe he was wearing, feeling a little self-conscious when he noted Karrde's presence. "Hello Talon."

"Luke. I didn't know that you'd contracted the Leptas virus." Talon winced inwardly. What a lame sentence. His usual flair for a well-turned phrase had apparently deserted him. "You should have let my doctor examine you…"

"What good would it have done?"

"He's an expert on the Leptas virus. He could have caught it earlier, slowed its progression and saved you the trip to the medicentre."

"I don't know if he would have. He might have slowed it down but I think it would just have delayed my visit here. The virus has a fairly long incubation period. I could feel it within me but it wasn't debilitating yet. It was a mild case after all. You know me - I just don't like a fuss and I ended up in here and caused one anyway." He gave a wry smile.

"You were lucky," Talon remarked lightly.

"I know. Mara's getting better, Talon," Luke told the older man earnestly. "That's the most important thing."

"So the nurse said but she's still not regained consciousness."

Luke lifted a shoulder dismissively. "I can feel her strength returning. It won't be long before she does." His gaze drifted around the lounge. "Has Lando arrived yet?"

Karrde shook his head. "I got a message saying he had concluded his business and would be on his way very soon."

"But… he's supposed to be…I don't understand," Luke exclaimed, his mouth tightening. "Why think of business when her life is at stake?"

Han sighed. He understood his old friend even if Luke didn't. "Kid… Business is life to Lando."

Karrde looked uncomfortable. "Luke… Lando and Mara…"

The door hissed open cutting off what Karrde was going to say and the 2-1B droid rolled in. "Captain Karrde. I will take you to see your associate now but you may only stay for a few minutes. She has made great improvement over the past two days. If the virus had progressed any further, we would not have been able to save her. It's a good thing you arrived when you did or she would have died."

"Thank you," Karrde murmured as he stood up.

"Follow the corridor until you get to room 6058C. Mistress Jade has been moved out of intensive care." The droid watched Karrde disappear and then turned its optical receptor on Luke. "Jedi Skywalker. I assessed your last set of results and the slides show that you are clear of the virus. You were lucky that it was only a mild dose."

Luke mouthed, _'Told you – mild dose,'_ to his sister and grinned.

"First thing tomorrow, your family can take you home."

"I can get out of here tomorrow?" Luke's thin face brightened and the old smile, the one which had imbued all with energy and happiness in the dark years of the fight against the Empire, suddenly appeared.

"Yes."

"What about today. Can't I go now?"

The medical droid paused. "First thing tomorrow after I calculate and corroborate the results of your final tests and sign your release. Good day, Jedi Skywalker, General Solo, Councillor Solo."

"Thank you, doctor," Leia said sincerely as the 2-1B disappeared in the same direction as Karrde.

Luke let out a cheer and Leia beamed. "Luckily I brought you in a set of clothes. I can't take you home wearing just your robe, after all, can I?"

"You brought me in escape gear?"

"I did." She handed over a small carryall and Luke propelled himself out of the door at top speed. "I'll just put these in my room."

"You do that." Leia smiled happily at Han. "I brought the clothes in for him but I never expected he'd get out so soon."

Han gave a little whistle as he watched the Jedi exit. "I didn't think hover chairs were supposed to double as pod racers."

"He has to do everything at top speed. Thankfully this time it included his recovery."

Han's brow furrowed a little. "Luckily he's too thick headed to get more than a mild case of the virus. Mara, on the other hand, nearly died."

Leia gave a little gasp. "It was really that serious? I thought you and the doctor were over-exaggerating."

Han shook his head. "You should know by now, sweetheart, that I never, ever exaggerate."

Leia wrinkled her straight little nose at him. "Of course not. Just the plain unvarnished truth from you."

"She was obviously sick when we picked her up. Looking at her, I wouldn't have offered good odds on the chances of her survival. Altra said there had been reports of the virus on several worlds out there. Did you think Luke and I were joking about what these people are doing? The governments are ignoring what's going on. Leia… the New Republic needs to start thinking beyond the Core Regions."

"That's unfair."

Han sighed. "I don't think so."

"But Karrde thinks Mara's turned the corner now. She will get better?"

He nodded. "Luke got her out in time and used his strength to make sure she made it all the way back to Coruscant. We can go in and see her if you like?"

"I think I'll wait until she's aware that we're there for her."

"I hope she knows that already."

"Han, she has saved our family many times and my brother…"

"Yes?"

"Luke is very fond of her."

"Fond? Is that all?"

Her shoulders slumped. "I can't say this is what I want for him but he's more than fond of her, isn't he? And she's in love with Lando…?"

"I don't think she is. I can't imagine Lando being in love with anyone but himself. That may sound harsh but I've known him a long time. He's a good friend but he thinks of number one first and Mara... Lando is too self-centred for her and she's way too intense for him."

"Luke thinks he has to serve the galaxy, be the prefect Jedi Knight and that love isn't for him. He feels strongly for Mara but I wouldn't go as far as to say that he's in love with her… But it's close."

"Wouldn't you?" Han's voice was serious. "You didn't see his face when he saw what those monsters had done to her." He shrugged his shoulders lightly. "He won't do anything about it, so it doesn't matter who she's involved with."

"I wish I could argue with you on that last point but I can't. You're right. He won't."

Han sighed deeply. "He would give his life for her or any of his friends but won't let himself fall enough in love with her or with anyone else to have a committed relationship."

"Unless he can't help himself. Sometimes your heart is stronger than your will. There's always a possibility it will happen and he can't do anything about it."

"Maybe, but he's committed himself to the Jedi Order," Han murmured.

"It's his life's task but he shouldn't have to do it alone. Mara would be good for him."

"She would." Han paused and tapped at the little scar on his chin. "One strange thing, Leia. I still don't know how he got her out."

"But you were there."

"I know. Luke said 'see that she's ready for immediate transport,' and she was handed to me – dumped into my arms. Luke announced that he'd take care of the transaction personally. I knew I had to get her out of that place as quickly as I could, so I loaded her onto the first transport car and got out as quickly as possible. I was just worried that he'd try to use another of those shiny fake jewels from Jaina's dressing-up set. I just had to hope he knew what he was doing. The nearer I was to the _Falcon_, the better chance we all had of escaping intact. I knew that Luke could always use his lightsaber and those fancy Jedi Master moves to get himself out of trouble if he had to. As the prince, he couldn't be seen to do anything menial like carrying Mara. That had to be my job. She was unconscious – there would be no help from her. So I left him to it. He was only a couple of minutes behind me."

"He'll have used the Force. That would have convinced the slavers that the jewels were real."

"I don't think so. Imperial Generals do not have weak minds nor do slave lords. Luke couldn't hoodwink Jabba, remember."

"Yes, but Luke is incredibly powerful. More powerful than he was back then."

"Yes, he is and '_incredibly'_ reluctant to use that power. Their minds are immoral and depraved but not weak. If there had been any doubt, we would not have left Elrood alive. Of that I'm certain."

"Ask him." Leia smiled happily at her husband. Luke was well again and would be staying with her until he got the final all-clear to return to Yavin. For Leia, her family was together and that meant her life was good. She headed out the door after her brother leaving Han in the lounge.

Han pulled Luke's lightsaber from the depths of a capacious coat pocket, the expression on his face thoughtful. "I intend to," he murmured softly.

Luke had been ill, not unconscious and not once had he asked for his lightsaber. Han had found it lying forgotten under a pile of blankets in the crew quarters.

-------------------------

****

Coruscant was a world that never shut down, never slept. Billions of beings went on with their lives no matter what the chrono stated the time was. Luke Skywalker lay in his hospital room, his eyes glittering in the dark and wondered why he couldn't sleep. He was getting out in... He stared at the illuminated chrono as if he was willing the time to pass– eight hours.

A faint smile crossed his face. Leia was overjoyed to have him coming home. He reached out and lightly brushed her sense with warmth. She was sleeping. She'd been worried about him and Han all the time they'd been away. At least now she had some peace of mind. His own mind went over the strange conversation he'd had with his friend earlier. Han had been lolling in one of the comfortable sofas in the visitor's lounge, a mug of caf clutched in his hand, while Leia had gone to secure Luke's release.

"What's eating you, Han?" Luke knew that something was gnawing at the Corellian's clever brain. He'd seen Han like this so many times - apparently relaxed but underneath his mind was working double time.

"You missing something, kid?"

Luke had shaken his head. "Don't think so." He'd stared at both of his hands and tried a light hearted quip. "Unless I lost another one of these and didn't realise it?"

"Nope." Han chewed on his lip. "That's not what you've lost."

Luke had settled deeper into his repulsorlift chair. "Can't think of anything then."

Han lazily waved his hands in the air outlining a familiar shape. "Oh, it's about so long, cylindrical in shape, has a buzzing green blade that shoots out of the end of it"

"My lightsaber!"

"A Jedi's weapon," Han agreed sardonically as he handed it to him. Luke suddenly appeared to Han to be somewhat discomfited.

"I must have left it in the _Falcon. _I hadn't _lost_ it. If I'd wanted it I would have eventually figured out where it was," Luke muttered defensively. He drew in his bottom lip, nibbling on it thoughtfully. "I threw it on a pile of old blankets in the crew quarters."__

"That's where I found it. You don't normally just leave it lying around. That's a little careless of you, Junior. Suppose one of the kids had picked it up?"

"They know what a lightsaber does, Han. They would know that it's mine." He ran his fingers lightly over the silver casing and laid it on his knees. "It's good to have it back."

Han grinned but his mind was still ticking over. "So what _did_ you pay to spring Jade?"

"What?"

"I wondered what you paid to get Mara away from the slavers. I assume she wasn't a free gift. You know - buy one hundred slaves and get one beautiful girl free."

"You gave me some jewels. I used them." Luke stared hard at his saber.

"I didn't give you enough."

"I used them and the Force."

"Oh." It seemed plausible but Han had the feeling Luke wasn't telling him everything. The answer had been a little too glib. Force or no Force, his brother-in-law still couldn't get past him all the time.

"I couldn't very well use Jaina's jewel, could I? According to you, she wouldn't have spoken to me for weeks." Luke shuffled around on his seat to get the most comfortable position.

Han chuckled. "And it was very fake."

"That too." Luke grinned. "Thanks for returning my saber to me. I would have been looking for it now that I'm escaping."

"Good to know. Leia has instructed the doc-droid to give you every shot you've missed for everything right down to Rygellian flu and Artoo has been instructed to see that you keep up-to-date with your shots. I think Leia was even planning to have Artoo be able to give them to you in case of any more memory lapses."

"Great," Luke muttered sarcastically. "Artoo thinking he's a medical droid. That's all I need. I'll turn round and wham… needle inserted without warning."

Han grinned. "Interesting image."

"He'd enjoy it. He has an evil streak for an astromech droid. A reminder will suffice."

"Luke… I told Karrde not to say anything to Mara about where we found her."

Luke sighed. "Yeah, as far as she will be aware – Karrde found her and brought her back. She didn't recognise me at all on Elrood. I don't know if she would be happy at us seeing her like that – so vulnerable. As long as she's recovering that's all that matters. I never thanked you properly, Han, for coming with me. It would have been much harder to get her out on my own."

"But you would have done it, wouldn't you, kid."

"I would have got her out." Luke was definite. "Still - it was much easier with you knowing half the guerrilla fighting population of Elrood."

----------------------

Mara had been in the room next to his for four days. He hadn't been allowed to see her because he'd been so ill and she still hadn't regained consciousness, her condition being far worse than his. Lando Calrissian, the man who was, according to everyone in the galaxy, in love with Mara Jade and she with him, hadn't bothered to even be there for her. At least she was unconscious so she would never know that Lando hadn't cared enough to put her needs first. Luke wondered if he'd ever be able to face the man again without resorting to violence.

Tomorrow he'd be free from the medical centre but would he really be free from the spell cast by Mara Jade? In his head he could hear Altra Adremetis's voice saying, '_She's your lover,' _and his own confusion as he'd answered her, _'No, she's not. She's just a friend. She has a lover.'_

The realisation was just as painful lying here in the medical centre as it would have been if he'd woken up earlier - years earlier. Luke was in love with Mara Jade and now he knew it. Altra Adremetis had seen it in five minutes. Force knew who else had recognised Luke's regard for the beautiful, fiery woman for what it really was.

Love.

Luke pulled back his covers and stepped from his bed, his feet landing silently on the cold tile floor. He had to see her. She was recovering but he had to see her, to touch her, hear her breath as it escaped her body. He pulled on his robe and with a quiet command to the Force his door slid aside without a sound.

She seemed so small and vulnerable lying there, her lashes resting against her soft cheeks. Luke sank into the chair by her bed and fumbled for her hand resting against the coverlet. He sat for an hour just gazing at her, holding her hand and wishing that she'd open her beautiful green eyes without glaring at him.

She hadn't done that for a long time, he thought, but she didn't love him – how could she? There was no place for love in his life. What did he have to offer her? The life of a Jedi wasn't luxurious or easy. Still, Mara was the one woman he wouldn't mind asking to share his life and all that it entailed. Mara knew what his life was – she'd been brought up without warmth or love and yet managed to emerge strong. She would be able to share with him equally.

But she was with another man and Luke Skywalker had to let that continue. That was Mara's choice. Lando could offer her the luxury she'd had at her fingertips as part of the Imperial court. Lando could offer her stability even if he didn't care enough to see that she didn't die. He pushed that thought away, not wanting to allow his slowly simmering anger to overcome him.

Luke would make sure that she never knew how he really felt about her. It wouldn't be fair even though part of him knew that Mara craved the action and the adventures just as he did. Yoda would have had words to say to Mara too if he'd known her.

She wasn't an easy girl to love – she let very few people close enough - but Luke couldn't help himself any more. He had told himself not to fall in love. He had tried to convince himself that he wasn't in love and he'd nearly succeeded. Nearly – that was the rub. The hard part would be attempting to go on without her. Tomorrow when he got out of here he would make sure that Lando Calrissian was by her side if he had to tie him up and drag him here. Then he would slip quietly away lest he revealed his feelings.

His fingers traced his lips; he'd felt her respond to him in the cell on Elrooden. Her mouth had softened and parted under his. Unable to resist any longer, Luke leant over and fitted his mouth over Mara's kissing her softly. She felt like his, her lips softening under his. Yes, she felt as if she belonged with him but she couldn't. That could not be their destiny. He straightened up, sighed and left the room.

-------------------------------------

Mara felt as if she was reaching for something through a very thick cloud formation. Something brushed her senses lightly and she stretched towards it but it moved further away. She had the impression of a breath of sweet, life giving air across her lips as if someone had kissed her. The soft click of a door closing had her opening her eyes. With some difficulty she focussed her blurry gaze on her surroundings. She was alone in a room enclosed by a bank of medical equipment.

But she hadn't felt as if she was alone.

The door slid open and a droid moved in beside her.

"Mistress Jade, so good to see you awake at last."

"A… awake?" Mara managed, her voice emerging so soft as to be almost indistinct.

"You've been very unwell."

"I have…?" her voice tailed off. She felt so tired.

"Good." The droid almost sounded as if he was smiling. "Natural sleep – the best medicine of all."

-------------------------------

Lando Calrissian bustled into the Manarai Medical Centre without a care in the world, his new crimson cape billowing behind him, and why not? He was the new owner of the highly lucrative Klaz Kasino chain. He wasn't quite sure why Karrde had requested that he meet him here but assumed it was something to do with Mara.

He suspected that Mara had got herself into a little scrape on her trip to search out Jorges Car'das, Luke had got her out and Karrde was having her checked over just in case. If that was all, he would offer to take Mara for a night out on Coruscant. He was welcomed at all the best places in the entertainment district. If she'd been stuck on a ship with nothing but Luke for two weeks, she'd be desperate for some fun.

Luke was a great guy but when it came to Mara, he had only her Jedi training on his mind. She'd often complained about it. Still, it was good of Luke to go and help her out.

Yes, he would take Mara out to one of the most exclusive restaurants and perhaps after nearly two months apart she would have warmed to him.

He moved to reception and smiled at the pretty human receptionist, turning on his charm. "Hi, I'm Baron Administrator Lando Calrissian. I'm here to see Mara Jade."

The receptionist smiled politely and tapped some commands into her computer. Did you say that you were Baron Calrissian?"

Lando gave the woman his most winning smile. "I did." He'd found that throwing in his title impressed women generally.

"Have you identification?"

"I do," He handed over his ID and smiled again, his teeth glinting pearly white against his dark skin. He knew he had good teeth.

"Your name is not on the list of approved visitors."

Lando's smile slipped a little. "What! Surely it must be. I am a very close friend of Mistress Jade's. Surely you must have seen the latest holo articles? We have been very close for some time now."

"You are not on the list." The receptionist was uncompromising. She was the first line of security and for once Lando's charm was not working.

"But Captain Karrde asked me to meet him here. I demand…"

"No, he did not. Thank you Meli, I'll take it from here." A lone figure detached itself from the shadows behind the reception desk and strolled towards Lando, veering off at the last moment and seating himself in a dark red leather chair.

"Of course, Master Skywalker."

"_I_ asked you to meet Karrde here. You are in no position to demand anything."

Lando turned and met the ice-cold gaze of the Jedi Master. "Luke, buddy. How ya doing?" The smile flashed again as he raised his arms to greet the blond man in black until he realised that Luke wasn't smiling and had made no move to greet him. In fact, if Luke had been armed, Lando had the feeling that the saber would have been pointing straight at him. His smile faded away.

****


	16. Part 16

**The Emerald Price Chapter 16**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you?

**Manarai Medical Centre, Coruscant**

"Where the hell have you been?" Luke's voice was soft but filled with the kind of deep rooted anger that flayed skin from bones.

Lando nervously flashed the Jedi a conciliatory grin. "Hey, hey, buddy. I'm here now. You're looking… well."

"I told you to be here when Mara arrived on Coruscant." The words left the Jedi's mouth with all the intensity of a proton torpedo.

Lando definitely knew something was wrong and felt a trickle of sweat run down the back of his neck. So he'd been a little late but the Jedi couldn't know how business tied you up. Mara would understand – she was a born businesswoman. He glanced edgily at the Jedi. Luke was keeping his temper in check but Lando could tell it was an effort for him to do so. Memories of Darth Vader at the height of his powers flashed through his mind and Luke was related to the guy. "Where is the lovely Jade?" He stared around the polished marble entrance hall suddenly feeling that his own tone was false.

"This is the Manarai Medical Centre – where do you think she is?"

"Mara's a patient… here?"

"Didn't Karrde inform you that Mara had been hurt?"

The gambler shrugged. "He didn't say anything definite."

"So he did say something," Luke concluded grimly. "He told you Mara was ill and you ignored him."

"He passed on your… _message_," Lando sneered. "I don't respond to that sort of message."

Luke's face was impassive. He sensed Lando responding instantly to his words. "And I thought that you did. You should have reacted to _that_ message. I asked you to be there. This wasn't a _whim_."

Lando stared down at his new crimson cape trimmed with gold. He'd thought it looked smart against his blue tunic but now it was wasted and he felt overdressed. He would not be able to be seen with Mara in suitable surroundings; he wouldn't be viewed by billions of beings over the holonet looking his best. He'd planned on dropping little hints that he'd successfully taken over the Klaz Kasino chain into the receptive cams of the holojournalists. Mara would have been impressed… Maybe. Somehow he didn't think that Luke Skywalker would be as impressed. "I must see her…"

"Visits to Mara have been restricted."

"Restricted! Why?"

Luke's stare never left the other man for an instant and proved to be quite unnerving. "In view of the severity of her condition."

"What condition?" Lando felt something twist in his stomach. "Severity?" His voice rose in apprehension. When Karrde had issued his threat purporting to come from Skywalker he hadn't really believed it was genuine. Now he wasn't so sure.

Luke was sitting, one leg lying across his knee, dressed in his usual Jedi blacks. He uncrossed his polished booted feet and stood up slowly, power radiating from his compact frame. "Let me spell it out to you in simple words that you might understand."

"Now wait a minute," Lando bristled. Luke had no right to talk to him like this.

"No!" Luke bit out, the quiet fury in his voice more unnerving than if he had shouted. "_You_ wait and _you_ listen. Mara nearly died out there and…"

"Died?" Lando swallowed. The guilt that he'd successfully banished from his system in the arms of Vari Klaz bubbled up once more. "She was more than just hurt?"

"Died," Luke confirmed resentfully. "We shipped her home in a stasis chamber otherwise she wouldn't have made it past Mid Rim. You should have been on that trip with her. Karrde told me."

"She didn't want me with her," Lando spluttered.

"She didn't?" Luke frowned. Karrde hadn't told him that piece of news.

"It's all for the best. She's all better…" Lando let his voice peter out as Luke's gaze grew even colder if that was possible.

"I expected you back here a week ago."

"I reckoned there wasn't any real emergency." The former administrator of Cloud City knew he'd said the wrong thing again as Luke's expression grew even more forbidding.

"Well, you 'reckoned' wrong, Calrissian. It's a miracle she survived and she's not out of the canyon yet. She spent three days in a bacta tank and then another two under sedation. They're still waiting for her to wake up properly."

Lando recovered his equilibrium to strike back spitefully. "Ah, but the great Jedi Master Skywalker rushed to save her in his shiny X-wing - the hero of the galaxy."

"Someone had to since you'd let her go off on a trip alone."

"She's a big girl. Imperial assassins often worked alone."

"She shouldn't have been on _this trip_ alone and you know it. Han and I used the _Falcon, _not my X-wing, and we nearly_ did_ fail to bring her back alive."

"You - fail!" Lando hooted with derisive laughter. "I don't believe it."

"Believe it. Mara got into trouble out on the rim and got picked up by a bunch of slavers. It was sheer luck and the Force that led Han and me to the right place at the right time. She could have been sold and across the galaxy by now."

"You rescued the fair maiden and now she's alive to tell the tale," Lando retorted airily, although inside he felt worse. '_Slavers!'_He was quite aware what could happen to a lone woman if she got caught by such beings.

"This is Mara we're speaking about. The woman you're in love with – one of the most capable and deadly fighters I know. As you said yourself, she was an Imperial assassin. She's not some harmless, inept aristocrat." Luke's voice was hard. "She was in trouble and you were dealing with meaningless business issues and romancing other women…" It was a complete spur of the moment comment by Luke but as soon as he'd said it, Luke knew that it was the truth. Lando had been seeing someone else – he couldn't help himself if a beautiful woman was nearby. His natural instinct was to charm and flirt. A tide of white hot rage threatened to swamp him but he clenched his fists tightly, forcing it down. "While Mara was being captured, beaten and drugged you were..."

"Now… I never said that I loved Jade. She doesn't love me either."

"But you're together – you're in a relationship." Luke didn't really understand how people could be together and yet not be committed to one another. To him, commitment meant something – loyalty and faithfulness. Luke knew that for him his heart had to be involved.

Lando's voice was snide. "You've not had many successes with women, have you Luke? Being in a relationship doesn't necessarily mean that you're in love. Sometimes it's based on something else. Sex, for example… or a business deal or perhaps even money. Love is the rarest of all the commodities. It can be far too costly. I currently don't have time for it and neither does Jade."

He groaned inwardly. He liked being the man accompanying Mara Jade but not at the expense of having Luke angry at him and the Jedi was more than angry – he was furious. Luke looked ready to carve out a sculpture using Lando's internal organs for clay.

Karrde's cover story had been more convincing than he'd thought. But why hadn't Mara told Luke that it was all a sham? The Jedi was the one person he thought she might have let into the secret.

"It's wrong."

"That's my affair," Lando snapped.

Luke gave him a long stare filled with ice and then turned swiftly on his booted heel, marching down the corridor towards the turbo lifts, his black cloak lightly skimming the gleaming patterned floor.

Lando gazed around him. The pretty receptionist had returned to the front desk but was studiously ignoring him. He felt a fool and had no choice but to follow the Jedi Master.

"Luke… I didn't know," he tried to start in apology. He didn't like being at odds with people like Luke.

"Still looking out for number one, eh, Lando?" Luke asked cynically. "Well, it's time to start being there for Mara. You are the man she's seeing; you are the man who should have been there for her. You owe it to her to be the one who's there for her now. She's got a long recovery ahead. She won't want to know that it was me that went for her and saw her in such a weak position."

"That rankles, does it, Luke?" Lando gibed as Luke ignored his half-hearted apology.

"It doesn't matter what I think," Luke ground out from between closed lips. "Mara's recovery matters."

The Jedi shot him a glare and Lando felt as if he was being regarded as something loathsome that had crawled up from underneath a stone. He didn't like that feeling. The way Luke was reacting about this didn't make sense but he would work it out later. He had to make sure that the Jedi didn't run him through with his lightsaber.

"You'd better be there for Jade…"

"Or what?" Lando muttered as he sauntered into the turbo lift.

"You'll wish you'd never made that last deal." The words emerged flatly as if there was no feeling behind them but Luke meant every syllable and Lando knew it.

The ride up to the three hundred and fiftieth level was made in complete and utter stony silence. "Infectious diseases level," intoned the bland female computer voice.

"This way, said Luke and ushered Lando from the lift.

"What!" Lando came to a sudden halt. "I'm not going near her if…"

"Infectious diseases," Luke said, his hand running over the hilt of his lightsaber. "Don't worry, Calrissian, she's not infectious any longer. You're not at risk from her. You wouldn't be allowed near her otherwise. I'm sure you've had all your shots...for everything."

"But…"

Luke's shoulders stiffened imperceptibly. "Start thinking of someone other than yourself. Mara needs your focused attention."

"That's not fair."

"Neither's life. Get over it," Luke snapped and gave Lando's crimson clad shoulder a push into the visitor's lounge.

Talon Karrde sat, looking slightly out of place, in a large flowered armchair. "Ah, Calrissian," he murmured as he stood up.

"Karrde!" Lando squeezed out from between set lips. He gave Luke a sideways glance which the Jedi ignored. "Mara's infectious? With what?"

"I'm going to see Mara, Talon," Luke murmured quietly.

"Of course." Karrde smiled. "The doctor says she opened her eyes for the first time last night."

"I know," Luke said. "I felt her energy return. She's still very weak and it will take time but finally we have some good news."

"She'll have the best care. I can promise you that."

Luke smiled properly for the first time that morning. "I know. I'll only be moment and then I'll leave her to you two. You can explain everything else to Lando." The unspoken _'I don't know if I can do so without resorting to violence_,' was felt both by the smuggler chief and the former gambler.

"Thanks, Luke, for everything you've done for Mara." Karrde shook the Jedi's hand warmly.

"She would do the same for me," Luke said quietly. "No thanks are needed. He nodded at Lando, his anger appearing to have cooled to a chilly civility and left the lounge.

"What's wrong with him?" Lando asked. "I thought he was going to attack me."

"Hardly," Karrde said scornfully. "Luke would never attack - he retaliates. Vader's legacy is a heavy one for Luke to carry. He does not show his anger often and only if he knows that he can control it."

"I've never seen Luke like that before. I wouldn't like to see him if he wasn't controlling it."

"Neither would I. Lucky for us he's usually in control." A strange expression flitted across Karrde's face, his pale blue eyes narrowing. "How is Vari Klaz?"

Lando's handsome face almost blanched. His mouth dropped open. "What!"

"I know Vari of old and I know you. I'm surprised she said yes to selling and I'm surprised it hasn't hit the holonet yet."

"She wanted freedom to travel and not be tied down to her business. She's still young and now she's ridiculously wealthy."

"She was ridiculously wealthy before."

"And her husband was still alive."

"That wouldn't have stopped Vari."

"No, probably not."

Karrde suppressed a sardonic smirk. Lando had just answered all his unasked questions. He'd bedded Vari Klaz. Karrde remembered Vari once coming on to him with all the finesse of a rutting bantha and he couldn't say that he hadn't been tempted. But she was a married woman back then, not a wealthy widow as she was now and he still didn't mix business with pleasure.

"Did you tell Luke I was with another woman?" Lando asked.

"No."

"He accused me of that."

"He was probably guessing but he's right. You should have been with her and instead you were bedding Vari. We almost lost Mara this time. I don't know what that would have done to Skywalker if we had. Most of the blame must fall on me – I was the one who wanted to find Car'das - but you must take your share."

Lando wanted to argue but kept his mouth shut. Why was Karrde so concerned about the Jedi?

"You have another problem, Calrissian. If this gets out it won't look too good for you either. There have already been rumblings in the press about the sudden disappearance of you both. If it comes out that Mara's gravely ill in the Manarai medicentre and you've been buying casinos on Systra and romancing the owner…" Karrde left his sentence hanging.

Lando's mouth went dry. "It hasn't got out, has it?"

"No. The best thing about the Manarai, as well as its medical expertise, is its security. I'm preparing a small bulletin for the press to say that Mara contracted a mild version of the Leptas virus while on a trading run to the Outer Rim. You were away on business at the time but have returned to be by her side."

"Clever," Lando muttered.

"When she has recovered, you and she will find some way to end this arrangement. I wish I'd never thought of it in the first place."

"So do I."

The room was lit sparsely; the girl still lay motionless in the bed surrounded by the medical equipment. Luke sank down in the chair he'd occupied the precious evening. Mara's emerald eyes opened slowly and focused on the figure by her side. Luke could feel her searching through the Force and latching on to his presence almost hungrily.

"Hey," he said gently, a smile colouring his voice.

"Luke?" Her voice was so soft.

"I heard you'd been in a spot of trouble."

"I had?"

"Karrde told me."

"Karrde?"

"Said you'd caught some sort of nasty bug. Makes a change from me catching it."

Mara tried to laugh. He was the one that was usually in the medicentre. She knew that's where she was but couldn't remember how or why. She would think about it later but for now she was too tired.

"Don't," Luke whispered with understanding. "You can try working it all out when you're strong again. Concentrate on getting better."

Mara's hand fumbled over the bedclothes and caught Luke's. He stared in shock as her slender hand fumbled for his. He gave it a gentle squeeze. "Stay?" she whispered. Her once greatest enemy was now her greatest friend and the one person she trusted above all others – the one dependable, safe thing in her tumultuous universe and she wanted him beside her.

Luke froze in shock as her fingers tightened on his with surprising strength. "Are you sure?"

Mara nodded. "Please."

"For a little while then. I don't want to tire you out. 2-1B will throw me out bodily if I do."

"Droids can't do that… nerf."

"Who you calling a nerf?"

"You… farmboy."

"I like that. I take time to come visit you and you insult me. But then again," he grinned, "some things never change."

"Getting better?"

"Yes. You are." Luke kept hold of her hot little hand and watched as her eyelashes fluttered closed. When he tried to pull his hand away, Mara moaned and again her grip tightened. "I'll stay for a little while longer, Mara. Leia's coming to get me very soon. I'm staying with her for a few days before I return to Yavin."

"Yavin," Mara echoed.

"Yeah, you know where that is. Place you like - filled with jungle and Jedi."

Mara made a face. "I'm a Jedi," she managed to say.

Luke's heart jumped in his chest. "Yes, you are and a powerful one too." He waited as her eyes closed once again. Even talking to him for such a short time was tiring for her but she would recover now. He gave a surreptitious glance at his wrist chrono and carefully extricated his hand from hers, thinking that she'd finally fallen asleep. She was so beautiful and now that he knew he loved her it was difficult to bear the thought that he could have lost her forever.

Mara opened her eyes properly, feeling the loss of his hand in hers and stared at the man by her side, surprising an expression of something approaching pain on his face. "What's wrong, Skywalker?"

"Nothing," he answered with a dismissive smile. "You should be sleeping."

"Slept enough," she murmured. "Bored."

Luke's eyebrows rose toward his hairline. "_Bored!_"

Mara managed a feeble chuckle at the expression on his face. Luke usually managed to cheer her into a better mood. Either that or send her into a far worse one. He never made her feel nothing or empty. She could be exactly who she was with Luke – there was no pretence between them. "Just lying here - bored. I want to do something."

"Concentrate on getting well. I told you. Save the infiltrating a pirate's den or beating me in a lightsaber duel for tomorrow. If you are genuinely bored… I've got some Jedi healing techniques you can practice."

Mara grinned and managed to retort, "Oh please."

"Or… I could call Cilghal to come and tutor you on those instead. She's on Coruscant at a medical conference on behalf of the Jedi."

"No… you."

"Cilghal's much better at showing you healing techniques than I will ever be," Luke reminded her calmly.

"Don't want her… want you," Mara insisted.

Luke stifled a grin. She was on the mend all right. Her stubbornness was already working overtime. "Okay, you'll get me for the next few days then I really need to return to Yavin. Now get some rest. I have to go but I'll be back to visit you. Leia or Han will be here to pick me up…" He stretched out with the Force. "It's Leia. Concentrate on your recovery and don't give the doctors a hard time."

"Who me?"

Luke hesitated but then thought, 'why not?' He bent over and dropped a chaste kiss on Mara's forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow. Take care."

Mara smiled and settled back in the bed. Lando, watching though a glass panel in the door, knew he had stumbled across something important. He quickly returned to the lounge and waited until the Jedi Master left.

"He's gone," Karrde said dryly.

"I know." Lando walked along the corridor and tapped on the door leading into Mara's room. "Hey beautiful!" he teased gently as he eased into the chair Luke had vacated. Lando stilled his face to cover his shock at seeing how pale and listless Mara looked. His guilt threatened to overwhelm him. Karrde and Luke had been right. He should have accompanied Mara.

"It's okay," Mara mumbled, intuitively picking up on his mood.

"No, it's not."

"I went on my own," she whispered. "Can't remember what happened. Karrde said you and he found me after raiding the headquarters of the people that attacked me."

"Don't try to talk." Lando's mind suddenly went blank. He was being granted hero status by Karrde and the Jedi Master? This he didn't understand and wasn't sure if he liked. What was wrong with telling Mara that Luke and Han had found her?

"But I must."

"No," Lando said. "It's over and you're safe and will be well again."

Mara wrinkled her straight little nose. "Feeling lousy."

"Your body is fighting off the virus."

"I can't believe it – felled by a microscopic bug."

"Yeah," Lando joked. "The big bugs you can cope with."

Mara chuckled but Lando could see how ill she'd been and how tired she was. "I'll be back to see you very soon," he said and watched as she slipped into sleep. Lando wondered at the strange feeling filling his heart as he remained by her side for a few more minutes. Was this what love was?

The visits of Luke, Karrde and Lando set a pattern for the next few days. The Jedi Master would arrive at the crack of dawn and just sit with a sleeping Mara until she woke up. Mara looked forward to just opening her eyes and finding his blue gaze warmly watching her.

"Hello," he would say softly and smile and Mara's heart would leap up in her chest, surprising her at how much she looked forward to him being there. He was good company. On her better days they would discuss neutral subjects and occasionally, if Luke felt brave enough, he would help her with certain healing techniques and other Force lessons which she could do without expending too much of her hard gained health.

On bad days, he would sit beside her and hold her hand, lending her his strength, his thumb rubbing gently, sending little shivers of awareness through both their bodies with neither of them thinking that the other was being affected.

After a couple of hours, Luke would rise from his seat, drop a kiss on her forehead and make ready to leave. That would be the cue for Lando and Karrde to arrive. There would be a stilted conversation between Lando and Luke and then the Jedi Master would vanish.

Lando brought extravagant bouquets of flowers and expensive gifts. He would charm her and make her laugh but it all felt a little false to Mara and she longed for the quiet times when Luke sat beside her. Karrde would talk about the business and how he'd made arrangements for the _Jade's Fire_. When she was well, they would go to Aaris III to collect it. Mara had winced at the name of the planet but had deliberately talked about returning for her beloved _Fire_. She didn't tell Karrde or Lando that she also desperately wanted her lightsaber, the one that Luke had given her. It was hidden on board her ship and she felt incomplete without it. As soon as they let her go from the medicentre she was going to return to Aaris III to collect what was hers.

Mara enjoyed their visits but she looked forward to the Jedi Master's visits the most and that surprised her. For a change, they hadn't argued and he hadn't pressured her about her training. Perhaps he realised that he didn't have to any more. As soon as she was well and had collected her ship, Mara was going to join Luke on Yavin and train to be a Jedi. It troubled her that she'd been taken down so easily and even more so that she couldn't remember what had really happened to her.

It also troubled her that something was worrying Luke. He hadn't said anything and she knew that, with his usual farmboy stubbornness, he wouldn't say anything unless she beat it out of him in a lightsaber duel. He was keeping his shields up when he was around her as if there were things he didn't want her to know about and where _was_ his lightsaber. She'd seen him wearing it a couple of times but she could have sworn that yesterday he'd been wearing a blaster.

Luke Skywalker wearing a blaster instead of his lightsaber!

Mara also wondered if Lando was trying to get into her bed again. He was being charming to an excessive degree but it all felt a little false. She knew he felt guilty about letting her make the trip alone but she'd made up her mind before she'd left for the Outer Rim that their make-believe public romance to fool the galaxy was over.

Luke arrived at the medical centre at his usual appointed time and made his way to Mara's room. She'd been moved completely away from the intensive care area and now occupied a pleasant chamber just long the corridor from where she'd been before. Her bruises had faded and the needle marks on her arms were disappearing quickly. Her old restlessness was beginning to stir and, as with Luke, inactivity didn't settle well on her shoulders.

"Luke!" Her voice greeted him as he peered through the door.

"Mara… you're…"

"I knew it was you, Skywalker. I could feel your presence as soon as you entered the building." Mara was sitting in the chair by the bed, dressed in a dark green jumpsuit and over-tunic, her beautiful face alight with excitement and happiness. "They're finally allowing me to get up out of this blasted bed. I've been down to the gym and started building up my fitness."

"Whoa!" Luke exclaimed.

"I may even get out of here in a couple of days if I promise to 'rest and not overdo it'."

"2-1B?"

Mara nodded. "I've had plenty of lectures."

"That's wonderful." Luke held out his hands and clasped hers firmly. "He's very good at the lectures. I think Leia is the only person who could beat him." He tilted his head to one side and gazed thoughtfully at the woman in front of him. "You are looking much better."

"So I should hope. It's good to finally get out of that hospital gown and wear my own clothes." Mara hesitated and then decided to speak her mind. Luke had been to visit her every day since she'd woken up and she'd been ill but not mentally impaired. He wasn't happy about something. She'd never hidden what she thought in the past and wasn't about to let the farmboy get away with anything that might be bothering him. "Skywalker, what is it? I sense that there's a problem. You're shielding overtime. Is there something you don't want me to know?"

Luke winced. She was too sharp for him. "No, everything's fine. I just have some Jedi things to think about. Nothing you need concern yourself with."

Eyes narrowing, Mara was not convinced in the least. "Luke…" She used his first name. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, nothing and now you're getting better everything's alright."

"You're hiding things from me," Mara stated.

"Now why would I want to do that?" Luke queried mildly, a little smile on his lips.

"You tell me."

"Mara, everything's fine. There's nothing wrong…"

"I just wondered if there was anything that I could do to help," Mara whispered, feeling something between her and Luke pulse.

Blue eyes stared into green and so intent on each other were they that neither of them saw Lando and Karrde arrive early. But the smuggler chief and the former gambler turned businessman saw quite a lot.

Suddenly the reason Luke had gone to rescue Mara and had been so angry at his apparent desertion of her became clear. "_Stang!_" Lando swore as he turned away and returned to the lounge. He'd never thought that would happen to the solemn Jedi Master…and with _Jade_?

"Good idea," Karrde agreed following him.

"Karrde…"

"Don't say it. Don't even think it."

"But… do they know?"

Karrde laughed. "Of course not. They didn't even sense us coming up behind them and in there we have two of the most powerful known Force users in the galaxy. The sad thing is that they may never know. They would go to the ends of the galaxy for one another but I've never known them to spend any time in each other's company without arguing."

"Sexual tension?"

"I said 'don't even say it or think it.' Woe betide you if either of them pick that up coming from us."

Lando sank into the cushions of the sofa. He'd had no idea – none at all - and Luke would just step aside and let him be with Mara? He didn't know if he could be as generous.

The door slid aside and Karrde turned to see who had entered. He smiled to see Luke supporting Mara as she walked slowly through to join them.

"I can manage," she said, her independence reasserting itself.

Luke grinned down at her, his blue eyes shining into hers. "Maybe you _can_ but I don't think I can manage. I'm actually leaning on you."

Mara laughed. "Yeah, right." But she was glad to sit in Karrde's favourite flowery armchair. She tapped the sides and looked at the three men. "This is the most hideous fabric I've ever seen."

"Karrde likes it," said Luke.

"He has no taste."

"I resent that, Jade," remarked her boss carelessly as he stood there with not a hair out of place, his attire faultless as ever.

"And I'm not going to ask the Jedi Master in black."

"It's cheerful," Luke said with a shrug. "One of the flowers is the same colour as the paint on the walls. And I match myself."

"Maybe you do but I still don't see you as the ideal spokesperson for the fashion and fabric industry."

"Mara is correct - it is hideous." Lando was dressed in a pale blue outfit with a matching darker blue cape.

"You go too far the other way," Mara stated, smirking as she surveyed Lando's outfit closely. He must have spent hours getting ready. No wonder she never saw him early in the morning.

Luke chuckled as Lando glared at him. It was so good to see Mara's acerbic wit returning. Now Luke knew that she was on the true road to recovery and it was time to bow out. He wanted to reach out and enfold her in the bond between them that was so strong but he daren't. Mara already knew that he was holding back with her and it wouldn't be long before she guessed why. He wanted to delay that as long as possible.

Cilghal was primed and ready to pay Mara a couple of visits to help her with her fitness. Luke wasn't needed on Yavin but he couldn't stay around Mara for much longer or she would guess he was in love with her. Once that came out he wouldn't be able to hold onto the fact that he could hear her call for him anywhere in the galaxy.

Then there was the matter of his lightsaber. Luke sighed and stared down at his boots, his heart sinking at the thought of leaving her.

"What is it, Skywalker?" Mara asked.

Luke lifted his head. She'd felt that? Yes, it was time. She was beginning to read him far too easily but then she always had. "I have to return to Yavin," he said. He was telling them all but his eyes never left Mara's.

"So soon," she whispered.

"I've been on Coruscant for nearly a month," Luke said. "I have to go and see that the Jedi on Yavin haven't all turned to the dark side and I'm left with a load of unmanageable Sith to deal with." He smiled gently at Mara. "All that dark side energy just wears me out. You have Karrde and Lando to visit you instead. You frequently slept through my most scintillating topics of conversation."

"It couldn't have been that good or I would have opened my eyes earlier."

"That's not the kind of comment that keeps me here." He sighed. "I don't want to go but I have to."

"But…" Mara protested.

Luke held up his hand. "Excuse me, gentlemen," he said to the men before addressing her quietly. "Are you okay to walk with me to the turbo lift?"

Mara lifted her chin. "Of course."

Luke flicked a quick glance at Lando who understood. "Five minutes."

The Jedi Master turned and walked slowly along the corridor, Mara by his side. "I can't put off returning to Yavin any longer, Jade. I have responsibilities – my students and staff at the academy."

"But you're hardly ever there these days."

"That's exactly why I have to go, because I haven't been there. They need and deserve my time as much as the rest of the galaxy does. Perhaps even more than the rest of the galaxy. What would you say if I asked you to do the exact same thing and come with me to Yavin to train as a Jedi? You know, quit your job – lose your independence and possibly much of your freedom?"

"I would refuse and tell you that I have other responsibilities to Karrde and to my customers. Unless I totally cleared my schedules, and for that I would need time.

Luke smiled gently at her, his hands rising to carefully clasp her shoulders. "See – you know what I have to do. You are welcome to pop in past Yavin if you happen to be around that area."

"You can count on it, farmboy." Mara still couldn't help the feeling that something was wrong with Luke. His shields had always been strong but she seemed to be reading his mood more clearly than usual. "I do want to train as a Jedi. This illness has made me reassess my priorities but I have my responsibilities too. We make a great pair," she muttered self-denigratingly.

"Mara…" He meant to say, _'I'm glad you have Lando,'_ but he didn't get the chance. He looked down into Mara's face and again marvelled at how beautiful she was. In the past few days her skin had recovered its creamy lustre, her red-gold hair had begun to curl back into riotous life and the light in her green eyes sparkled anew. It was time to go before he risked further heartbreak – heartbreak he was not yet equipped to handle. "Look after yourself, okay?"

"Okay," she echoed hesitantly. She watched as he took a step away from her, his hands falling from her shoulders and felt torn inside. She would examine this strange new sensation later when she was alone. "Luke…"

"Yes," he smiled at her.

"Take care of yourself, too."

"I will." He bent his fair head to kiss her cheek and when Mara lifted her head at the same time their mouths connected. The kiss was brief but for a moment they could feel each other react and a tingle of awareness shot through them. Horrified blue eyes met green and Luke stepped back and disappeared quickly into the turbo lift leaving Mara staring after him with her mouth open.

What in the name of the Force had happened there?


	17. Part 17

**The Emerald Price Chapter 17**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you?

**Yavin IV – two months later**

Luke Skywalker carelessly flicked away the buzzing insect that had been flying around his head and watched idly as it landed on a brightly hued flower. He'd gone out for his usual early morning run but with the intent of not returning to the Jedi complex for the rest of the day. He needed some time to himself and today was the first day in a long time that he'd managed to get it.

This was his favourite route. The scenery was particularly beautiful, the terrain demanding and it helped maintain his stamina. And best of all, it was an opportunity to see the sunrise. Still a dreamer at heart, he was a sucker for the sheer spectacular beauty of a sunrise or a sunset. The sky went through so many changes in the early light of the new dawn. Yavin's daybreak could almost be said to rival Tatooine's efforts but nothing, in his opinion, could really match those. The desert planet and its twin suns would always have the home advantage.

All of his life he'd watched the sky – from the moment he'd been aware that the stars were more than shining pinpoints of light above him and that the suns gave life and energy. The fascination with what lay beyond the blue caught his imagination and fed his dreams. As the colours in the sky used the entire palette of tints, one shade always sparked a thought. It was the colour of her hair. Luke smiled at the whimsical idea of Mara's hair blending in with the red-gold of the dawn sky. Always, the glow of dawn's colours evoked the memory of Mara.

Shewas never far from his thoughts.

He was living with his feelings - contentedly existing, if the truth could be told. This was different from when he'd lost Callista. Back then he'd simmered with anger and barely healed despair. He hadn't wanted to really live. Shutting himself off from his friends and family, he'd turned into a virtual recluse alone with all his regrets and he'd already suffered too many hours of those. It had been selfish and stupid holding on to his pain instead of working through it and going on. He had too much work to do these days and Mara would not stand for his strange moods if he withdrew once again. His students needed him, the galaxy needed him and the Force needed him.

His mouth quirked into a little smile. His love for Mara Jade made everything different – the feeling he had for her was different. It was stronger, deeper and purer. He'd never had Mara as a lover – only as a friend and he would rather have her in his life as a friend than not at all. He couldn't lose Mara. He had resigned himself to a life alone without one special person to share his deepest desires. For if that was what he had to do to keep Mara in his life, then he would do it. The thought that he could have more entered his head but he never truly believed it. In his weaker moments he wondered what it could be like to have a wife and children but then he would be sent to the far reaches of the galaxy to deal with some new problem. He couldn't predict when he would be in mortal danger yet again and it was unthinkable to inflict that danger on a wife and children. What woman would put up with that?

'_Mara could,'_ the little voice inside his head told him but he ignored it.

"I miss her," he told the little buzzing insect who seemed to turn his many faceted eyes on the strange human. "I miss her every day and with each breath. But…I have work to do and should not be idling here any longer."

He grabbed a stout piece of vegetation and swung across a small ravine, landing safely on the other side. The trees began to thin out as he continued his trek and ahead was a small hill. By now, Luke was breathing hard as he staggered up the incline, pausing to catch his breath at the top. Below him lay his secret place.

A secluded valley stretched out before him where one of Yavin's many small streams widened into a shallow, freshwater pool. No one else came here apart from him. The students' training runs tended to go in the opposite direction. Here he could take time to do what he wanted.

Luke plucked at his damply clinging vest top; already it was getting warm as the sun rose. He stumbled down the slope and headed for a small three sided shelter that he'd built a couple of years earlier. It had three sides and a covering of sorts made from the large flat leaves of a jungle tree. Calling it a roof would have been somewhat ambitious but it had kept him dry from the frequent tropical rains. With a thankful sigh, Luke pulled the backpack off his shoulders and dumped it on the ground inside the shelter. He opened the fastenings and rummaged through the contents until he found his box of ration bars and an earthenware drinking cup.

Walking down to the stream, Luke filled his cup with the cold clear water and, returning to the shelter, grabbed a ration bar and a stack of pads. Pulling out a soft bantha wool blanket, he spread it out and sat down. This was his own time – he wasn't scheduled to teach any classes for the entire day.

 If he'd stayed in his office there would have been constant interruptions by students or, perhaps more likely, other teachers. Even on his rest day Tionne persisted in asking him to deal with administration matters. She meant well - she had the welfare of the Jedi at heart - but he couldn't fathom why she had to consult him on practically everything now that he was back on Yavin. Well, he did know - he was the head of the order after all. But he had hoped that he would be able to move away from the more rudimentary techniques in the training of the Jedi and be able to deal with what was happening around him in the galaxy. He would be able to go when and where he was needed. Luke knew that Tionne was much better at organisation than he would ever be and Kam ran the Academy in an exemplary fashion. Perhaps it was time to say something.

No one knew exactly where he was, only that he was close. If there was an emergency he could be summoned. He had the Force _and_ a comlink. Luke chuckled and then took a bite of his ration bar. He stared at it darkly, giving it a look of disgust. Someone had to make these more edible. It could do a lot for morale amongst the troops. He glanced around at his basic surroundings – he didn't need much. If he built his shelter out a little more, he could maybe fashion himself a kitchen area. So if he wanted to do any cooking, he could have somewhere reserved for that. Then he wouldn't have to eat so many ration bars. Luke took a huge bite and chewed hungrily but the idea took root. It was a good one. Then the little nagging voice in his head surfaced again. 'If you'd stayed and worked in your office then you could have had lunch with all the other Jedi in the dining hall. No need to worry about the taste of a ration bar or working out where to cook in the open air.'

"Oh be quiet," Luke muttered to himself and finished the ration bar with a massive final bite. "Mmm, lovely," he said with his mouth full. He was almost convinced but there were some things even a Jedi Master could not do. Making a ration bar taste enjoyable was one of them.

He picked up his data reader and was about to select one of the pads Tionne had been trying to get him to look at for weeks when another card drew his attention. His hand ignored the first one and then picked up the other.

Something about this one was urging him to read it. This was the information Han had sent him last night. He'd been alone in the com centre when he'd had a call from his brother-in-law.

"Han!" Luke had settled into the seat in front of the com unit. "Good to hear from you."

"Hey, Junior! How's things in the jungle?" Han could be seen on the monitor slouched in Leia's nerf-leather chair in the office of their Coruscant apartment.

"Hot and sticky but pretty good otherwise," Luke replied with a grin. "Some of the trainees have come on quite far in a very short time and I'm incredibly impressed with the work that Kam, Tionne and the others have been doing with them."

"That's good to know. Hopefully it means you can come home more often. Your sister would like that as would your niece and nephews."

"I'd like that too," Luke admitted wistfully. Han shifted in front the monitor and Luke felt that he could almost reach out and touch him but they were millions of miles apart. "Yes, Han, I would really like that. Soon, maybe."

"I'll hold you to that, Kid." The Corellian had flashed a quick, sympathetic smile. "I've got a report to forward to you, Junior. It's from Altra Adremetis."

"Altra!" Luke's face had broken into a smile. He'd really liked the pretty and capable woman with her air of quiet strength. "You heard from them? How is she? How are they getting on…any success?"

"Slow down," Han chided laconically. "She's fine. She said to say hello and wanted you to read some report."

"Have you looked at it?"

"Yup, it makes good reading - although there's not very much to read just yet. I guess they're too busy destroying a slaving syndicate to write reports."

"I'll look forward to reading it." Luke grinned. "How's everyone?"

"Everyone? Oh…_everyone?"_ Han's grin broadened. "Everyone is fine. In fact, she's been out of the Manarai for over a month now…"

"She?" Luke questioned casually but it hadn't fooled Han one bit. What he couldn't understand was why Luke had run away from Coruscant as soon as he could, leaving Mara to the tender mercies of Lando Calrissian. But then, this was Luke. He'd known the kid for nearly twenty years and sometimes he couldn't say exactly how his mind worked.

"Mara, of course. Weren't you asking about her?" But then other times he knew him oh too well and if anyone was going to call the Jedi's bluff it was Han.

"Actually, I was wondering how my sister and my niece and nephews were getting on but now that you mention it, I was going to…" Luke began to say. If Luke had needed to find out how Mara was, he could have opened his carefully constructed shields and searched out her shining presence through the Force but he hadn't wanted to do that.

"She's been seen in Lando's company quite a bit." Han kept the smile from his face. It wouldn't be any problem to tighten the hydrospanner in the works. "I ran into them at some fancy dinner. Your sister made me wear that suit with the durasteel collar…well, it felt like durasteel… you know, that blue one with the braid round the edges? She says it looks good but to me…I feel as if I'm trussed up in…"

"Mara?" Luke questioned tersely.

"Oh, yeah! She looked fabulous. Doesn't seem to be suffering any after effects from her illness and the ordeal of her capture. Lando's hands seemed to be all over Jade's luscious figure and I don't blame him. She is one well put together woman. I thought Lando was quite brave to even try and put his hands there…"

There was no mistaking the ice in the Jedi's voice as he cut off Han's rambling sentences. "It's to be expected. They've been together for some time now."

"I'm still not so sure. They seem more like friends to me than lovers and that night…I don't think Mara was feeling too friendly towards him."

"Not if his hands were…were…" Luke stuttered stiffly trying to keep his jealousy at bay. He had no right to feel like this.

"He was trying it on. There's no real closeness between them. Remember when Leia and I got married?"

Luke nodded. "Yes…"

"We couldn't keep out hands off one another."

Luke rolled his eyes. "I remember that."

"No…well… yeah, I guess so. But even if we were in company I _had_ to reach out and touch her. It was comforting to know that she was there, the person you belong to and vice versa. Just a touch, a look or a whispered word and you feel loved."

"But he doesn't love her, Han," Luke whispered. He had never known that kind of closeness to another person. Callista had somehow kept part of herself from him. Even in his relationship with Callista it had always been just out of reach, a wall he had never been able to break down.

Han grinned. He'd hopefully got the kid thinking. It was time to keep tightening the screw. "I love your sister but how many other couples can you say that about these days?"

"I know a few."

"Of course you do but not Lando and Mara – of course, he may eventually wear her down. Anyway, as I said…Mara kept slapping them off, before she turned and stalked from the ballroom in a temper with Lando following. I think if she'd been armed he would have been regretting his actions"

Luke's lips twitched. "She'll have been armed," he said wryly. "There is no doubt in my mind on that issue. She is all right?"

Han laughed. "I think so. No one compares to your sister in my book but Jade appeared to be her usual gorgeous, irritable self."

"As long as she's suffered no after effects."

"She looked just fine. She did ask for you. Wondered how you were and where you were. I told her you'd returned to Yavin like you'd said you would and had been there ever since, mouldering in the jungle. Nothing more than pleasantries. She can be very charming when she's not pointing a blaster at you. I think she's planning a visit to Yavin sometime soon by the way she was talking."

"I don't moulder," Luke snapped but his heart had leapt at the words. A visit? Mara was coming to Yavin and soon?

"Just a joke, kid," Han soothed. His brother-in-law was very touchy where the beautiful redhead and the matter of her Jedi training were concerned.

"It will be good to see her. Mara's always welcome amongst the Jedi." Luke appeared to have regained his calm.

Han frowned. Luke was attempting to be very casual about his friendship with Mara these days but Han knew there was more to this than met the eye. He still hadn't forgotten how proprietorial the Jedi had been about her. His old smuggler's instincts had never let him down yet. "Mara isn't going to see the Jedi; she'll be coming to see you. She's your friend."

"Yes," the smile vanished from Luke's face and for a moment he looked sad and tired. "She's my friend."

"Luke…"

The Jedi could hear the question in his friend's voice. "What?"

"Why can't you tell Jade that it was you who went for her? I think enough time has passed now. Maybe it is time that you fill her in on what you did for her."

"Not just me," Luke returned evenly. "I couldn't have done it without you. I don't want her to know that she was treated so terribly. I don't want her to suffer. It could add untold damage to her psyche and she's been through too much already…"

Han wanted to say, 'What about you and the things that you've suffered? When are you going to be happy? Don't you think you deserve happiness?' But he kept his mouth shut. Typical, the kid always thought about others before himself.

"You don't think she has remembered anything?" Luke asked almost anxious.

Han shook his head. "No, I don't think so, but do you really think it's going to stop her from questioning? Karrde says most of her time was a blank. She remembers her capture and then odd fleeting images of fighting to get free. He's not told her very much but Mara doesn't give up easily. Maybe, you're right, Kid. No one should have to remember those kinds of experiences but..."

"Leia still does and never will forget," Luke's face showed his agony. "And I…I will never forget…my family, my hand…all the darkness…"

"Hey, Kid," Han said gently as Luke seemed to lose himself in memories of a not so pleasant past. "Would you want to forget about those things?"

Luke swallowed. The sight of his uncle and aunt's smouldering bodies still haunted him but he didn't want to forget. That would not honour what they had done for him. He could not unlearn what he now knew. "I would want these things not to have happened," he said softly.

"But they did happen."

"I know they did but…No." Luke's face showed his pain. "I don't want to forget. I can't. Still, is it wrong of me to not want others to suffer?"

"Oh, Kid." Han paused to allow his own emotions to subside. Time after time, Luke showed him what a selfless giving individual he was. The Corellian wondered if it was worth telling the Jedi his next piece of news but appreciated that Luke would want to know. Anything that threatened Mara Jade mattered to the Jedi. "Karrde is taking the _Wild Karrde_ to Aaris III to pick up the _Jade's Fire."_

Luke's mouth tightened. "Is Mara going?"

Han nodded. "I think so. Karrde would perhaps rather she stayed away but he knows that there's not a snowball's chance on Tatooine of that happening. She wants to face what she had to endure and the _Jade's Fire _is her ship. She wants it back."

"The _Fire_ is more than just a ship to Mara – it's her freedom and her independence." Luke dropped his eyes and his voice softened. "She's a strong woman. Not many could do that."

"Karrde and the crew are going with her."

"So I should hope," Luke muttered. "She will face what she has to. Still, for her sake I hope the memories never return."

Han sighed. "Kid, I mean it. Mara _should_ know that it _was_ you that went for her. I keep thinking about this and I reckon we were wrong in keeping it _all_ from her. She was kept in the dark by the Emperor. Mara will not want you making decisions for her. Just tell her you were in the area and found her or something."

"You agreed to it too, Han," Luke said, dragging his focus back to the comscreen."

"I know I did but if she does ever remember…"

"It's too late to tell her now. I can't just call her up and say, 'I heard your voice through the Force and Han and I travelled to the other end of the galaxy to find you.' We'll worry about that if the time comes."

"I don't think it's a matter of 'if', Kid. Mara's getting stronger with each day. I don't think she's going to be content to just close the file on this."

Something inside him knew what Han was saying was all too true of Mara Jade. But for all concerned he begged the Force that this time would be different. "Well then, Chewie will protect you and I'm a Jedi Master," Luke gave a feeble chuckle.

"And you think that all your power in the Force will protect you if Jade gets really mad?"

"It might."

Han rolled his eyes. "I hope I'm nowhere near the pair of you if that ever happens. She must be apprehensive about the trip to Elrood."

"If she is, she won't let anyone know that she feels that way. It's a sign of weakness in her eyes. Karrde will make sure that she's kept safe."

"You think? He won't just drop her off and leave her alone…"

Luke's eyes darkened. "Not funny, Han."

Han winced inwardly at his mistake. He'd thought that a quip might lighten things but no. Mara's safety was not a laughing matter. "Of course, he'll keep her safe. He's not going to take any chances. I think he knows that a certain Jedi Master will come after him wielding his lightsaber if he doesn't."

"He's probably correct," Luke agreed but Han could tell that he was worried.

"Mara will be fine."

"Yeah!"

Luke stared at the data card and then slotted it carefully into the reader. 'Mara will be fine,' he told himself. 'She will.' He peered at the rolling script on the pad's screen.

_Hey, Kid. I got this from Altra. There's not much on it but I think you will like it._

He activated the file and heard Altra's cool tones saying clearly, "Phase one a success."

Luke grinned. Well, whatever phase one was, he was glad it had worked. He read further. As Han had indicated, there wasn't much more.

_Han, tell Luke that we managed to infiltrate the main base area and have _

_found several weaknesses. We've also located the headquarters of slave lords Tharakan and Diptil. They won't be trading for a little while. Elscol and I managed to create a little accident inside their premises with those thermal detonators you left behind. If Luke has any influence with the prince, please tell him he could be useful again sometime._

Luke chuckled. Phase one indeed.

            _Your wife's influence has already had far reaching effects out here. When _

_information reached us telling us that a delegation from the __New__Republic_

_High Council was arriving on Elrood to speak to the government on issues _

_of__ equal  rights for all beings, several of the slave lords were immediately _

_brought__ in for questioning. That's well into phase two in my holo viewer. _

_Unfortunately for us and perhaps fortunately for him, General Raitt suffered _

_a__ heart attack while he was being questioned. He died later that evening. _

_He will never be punished for what he put Mara and countless others through._

So Raitt was dead. Luke couldn't pretend that he was sorry. He had regrets though. Regrets that the man never got what he deserved but satisfaction that he didn't live to enjoy the riches he'd gained from the misery of others.

Phase two had been initiated. Altra was right.

He paused as the sun crested the brow of the valley and finally bathed his little place with warmth and sunshine. "Be well, Mara Jade," he whispered into the sweetly scented morning air, his eyes taking in the lush tropical growth around him. "Be well and happy – you deserve it." A strange lassitude washed over him, the pads dropped from his hands and Luke closed his eyes and slept with a smile on his face. In his dreams, the beautiful face of the woman he loved smiled back at him.

**_The Wild Karrde – _****somewhere in hyperspace**

Mara tossed and turned in her narrow bunk. Expelling an exasperated sigh she sat up, switched on the light and tried to squash her pillow into something that was remotely comfortable. "I'm not going to get to sleep yet, that's obvious," she muttered irritably as she pounded and pummelled the inanimate object into submission. The pillow was winning this fight without even throwing a punch. With a mumbled curse and a final thump, Mara thrust the offending pillow behind her back. She grabbed a holo-book from the shelf above her bunk and began to try to read but her mind was too restless to follow the text. It had been one of the ten best sellers in the whole of the Core World region, yet it failed to keep Mara's interest beyond the bottom of the first page.

She let the reader fall from her fingers onto the bed. Her mind was too busy to read or to sleep. Last night she'd dreamed and for the first time in months she could recall much of what she'd dreamed. It had felt so real. She had been chained up inside a cell. It reminded her of the time that Ysanne Isard had captured her after the death of Palpatine but she'd escaped on that occasion without help.

Karrde and Lando had said very little about how and where they had found her and got her to a healer in time and Mara hadn't pressed them about it…yet. But now her previously blank mind was recovering and remembering and eventually she wanted to know exactly what had happened. She would make sure she was never taken like that again.

In the dream she'd heard a nasally whining voice demanding obedience. This man had held her close to him, her body pressed against his. Something about him struck a chord of recognition but it didn't quite fit all the parameters. If she hadn't known better she would have said that it was Luke Skywalker. The stranger had eyes like Skywalker's but cold and full of fury. Luke's eyes were full of warmth and when he relaxed his guard there was laughter, kindness and a wicked sense of humour.

She'd not told Karrde that she was beginning to recollect parts of her captivity. She suspected he would be happy if she never remembered anything at all. But why was that? What had happened to her out there? Mara supposed that her return to the Elrood sector could be traumatic for all of them. She just had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach about it all and she'd learned to trust that sensation. It had never let her down yet. Now that she was finally able to think clearly, she knew that she'd been picked up by a slaving gang. It made sense. Karrde and Lando had got her out before they'd sold her.

When she closed her eyes and tried to regain the dream, she could not. All she could see were images - disjointed, fragmentary pictures of something that didn't add up. She heard a voice telling her that she'd be safe, that he would look after her. She knew that voice. She knew it better than any others apart from her own. It _was_ Luke's voice.

But Luke Skywalker hadn't been anywhere near Elrood and Aaris III. Karrde or Lando would have said - wouldn't they? She must be hearing things.

She'd felt an understandable reluctance to return to collect the _Jade's Fire_ but it was something that had to be done and she wasn't someone who couldn't face her fears. She wouldn't have been allowed to go on her own in any case. Lando or Karrde had followed her everywhere she'd gone since her capture and rescue and their constant monitoring of her whereabouts and state of mind was beginning to chafe. She felt stifled, yet unwilling to escape from the unaccustomed cocoon of concern they'd wrapped her in. Karrde had become as bad as Skywalker and as for Lando – the look in his eyes worried her. He appeared to be in serious pursuit of her affections once more.

She didn't need protection - she was a trained assassin, damn it, not some soft, silly, frightened little girl. The _Jades Fire_ belonged to her – it was her ship – her freedom. But even more than her ship, Mara wanted her lightsaber. Luke had given it to her and she needed it. Maybe when her hands curled around the handle she would feel complete for the first time in months. Yes, her ship and her lightsaber. They were part of what she was and would become. She had to get them back.

Mara wriggled a little under her quilt, pulling it more firmly around her body and allowed her mind to drift back to her latest stay in the medicentre. She'd sensed Skywalker's presence with her as soon as she'd opened her eyes and maybe even before that. She knew when he was near – she could feel it. Luke's behaviour had been strange but there was nothing new in that. One of the things that she liked about him was that he never did anything quite the way he was expected to. Lately, though, she had been concerned about him. He was retreating further and further into the personae of the Jedi Master and she saw less of the carefree farm boy turned pilot she used to encounter occasionally. She'd seen his worry for her lurking deep in those distracting blue eyes of his on his daily visits at the hospital and then there had been his strange reaction to their accidental kiss.

Mara had to admit to herself that she'd liked the feelings she'd experienced as his lips had connected with hers. A tingle had swept through her entire body and she'd known that he'd felt the same – whatever that same was. There had been a moment when they'd both frozen and then Luke's horrified gaze had met hers. There was knowledge there too but Mara couldn't decide what he knew.

She traced the outline of her lips gently with her fingertips. What would have happened if he'd deepened the kiss? Her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing quickened as she relived the experience. Somewhere along the line her wishful imagination took over and, as the kiss became longer and more passionate, she felt her heart began to jump erratically inside her chest. She could hear his voice as he groaned. She knew if she opened her eyes, his would be dark and stormy with desire.

There was a light tap at the door. Mara's eyes flew open. '_Damn!_' She was really losing it - daydreaming about kissing Skywalker of all people! He was the last man in the galaxy she wanted to kiss…no, that was Calrissian. She was heading towards being declared certifiably insane if she persisted in wondering what it would be like to kiss the Jedi Master. But then…his lips were well-shaped and begged her to cover them with her own. She knew his body was in the peak of condition – would it feel good to be pressed against his chest, to stare into his vivid blue eyes…?

The tap at the door repeated and reluctantly Mara relinquished her unexpectedly pleasing fantasy and stretched out with the Force to see the identity of her caller this late at night. She was surprised to find that it was Aves and not Karrde.

"Come in," she called, with a quick inspection of herself, hoping that her night attire was decent enough for visitors.

Aves shuffled in, looking a little apprehensive. "I just wanted to check you were all right."

"Why shouldn't I be?"

"I didn't want to mention this to the others but…" he hesitated. "The boss told us to keep an eye on you."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I thought he might. I won't break. I'm not saying that I liked what happened but it happened and I'm dealing with it." Mara waved him to the single chair in the corner of the cabin. Even on a large ship like the _Wild Karrde, _cabin space was at a premium. This was a cargo vessel first and foremost. "Just say what you have to say."

"This is my time for my break."

"And…? Mara couldn't see where the older man was going with this conversation.

"Most of the others are sleeping."

"I know. It is supposed to be the night cycle."

"I just wondered if you were all right. I heard you…"

"Heard me," Mara interrupted.

"Yeah," Aves rubbed grimy hands on his pants. "Every night since we left the mid rim I've heard you shouting for someone."

"Shouting." Mara's mouth opened and shut. Who on the pride of the Core Worlds would she be shouting for?

"I reckoned you were dreaming and I know you wouldn't want doc to give you knock out drops to help you sleep."

"I wouldn't want sleeping capsules, no. Aves, who was I shouting for?"

"I think it was the Jedi…Skywalker."

"Oh! You just think?"

"Pretty sure it was him." Aves shifted a little in the chair his face flushing a little. "Do you want me to see Karrde or the doc-droid?"

"No, I must just be having nightmares. After…you know. It's not surprising really. I'm quite capable of seeing the doc-droid if I need to."

""I just wanted to make sure… Do you know why it's him you were shouting for?"

Mara opened her mouth to snap at the older man but could see that even for an experienced member of Karrde's crew he was apprehensive of her reaction. "I don't."

"Maybe the Jedi Master will know. You could ask him."

"Ask him!" Mara exclaimed. "How could he know?"

"He knows a lot of things." Aves clamped his mouth shut as if he'd said far too much.

"Yeah, most of it to do with that silly Jedi philosophy stuff he wants me to learn."

Aves shrugged. "He's a good man."

"Skywalker?" Mara gave a wry little smile. "Yeah, he is."

"Maybe you should think about learning the rest of that Jedi stuff. He seems to think you could."

"He does, doesn't he," Mara answered thoughtfully.

The older man stood up. "Just as long as you're okay."

"I'm fine," Mara said quietly. "…or I will be soon, once we get this trip over with."

"I can understand that. Maybe…maybe you should speak to the Captain or the doc-droid about those nightmares. I think I'm the only one who's heard you."

"Thanks," Mara murmured. She felt a little awkward and she guessed that Aves did too, yet glad that he'd been concerned enough to come and speak to her about it before going to his boss. He gave her an embarrassed smile and stepped out of her cabin.

Mara lay back and fidgeted around against the pillow trying to find the most comfortable spot. She knew she'd been dreaming but morning came and she couldn't remember anything about the dreams but her throat was sore as if she'd been talking a lot or, perhaps, shouting in her sleep? Shouting for Skywalker? Why would she shout for him?

"He promised that he'd take care of me," she whispered as if a memory had swept over her.  Then suddenly her sense took over again, confused. "Where did that come from? Why on Kessel did I say that? How did I know that he would?"

_"Be well, Mara Jade. Be well and happy – you deserve it."_

Words echoed around inside her head. Mara sat up straighter. "Luke!" she whispered. "That was Luke's voice. I could hear him as if he were standing next to me. He's on Yavin or he should be." She bit her lip worriedly. Was he in trouble? Mara didn't think so because she would have known. Once she got her life back to normal she would go and see him. Maybe she might even finish her training. No, Aves had a point. There was no maybe about it – she was going to finish it this time.

Mara pulled the quilt up to her chin and resolutely closed her eyes, bringing Luke's image into her mind. It made her feel better about a lot of things.


	18. Part 18

**The Emerald Price Chapter 18**

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**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you?

**Aaris III**

The interior of the dingy tapcaf was hazy with smoke. Whether it was due to spice or a more harmless narcotic, no one cared enough to ask. A tall figure slunk in from the shadowed doorway and seated himself at a table where a glass of lum was deposited on the grimy tabletop in front of his long fingered hands. He couldn't remember the last time he had frequented such a low place as this but he needed peace to think and the anonymity that such a dive provided was ideal.

The dark, hooded cloak hid his distinctive head tails and disguised his lanky frame. He considered himself a marked man these days and he did not like that feeling. Tharakan wondered where and when everything had gone wrong.

His anger rose. A class 'A' thermal detonator had been used on his headquarters destroying the entire building. Luckily, he, his men and his merchandise hadn't been in the building when the detonator had exploded. He'd lost one or two slaves but they'd been sick with the Leptas virus and would have died soon enough. He had been fortunate to sell the other sick slaves in the previous day's showing. Things had been going so well since the Prince of Mittenden IV had graced them with his presence. Funnily enough they hadn't heard from the royal since the man had returned to his home system to prepare for his upcoming nuptials.

He would contact the Prince.  It would start to rebuild his business. The prince had been wealthy and well pleased with his slave. His lips curled into a sneer – that is if she lived long enough for him to get his pleasure. She'd been a troublesome piece of flesh but he was confident that the prince would have shown her exactly how she was to behave and she would have learned to see it his way eventually.

Tharakan had sensed that Aesophas had appreciated his wares and would have contracted more of his business out to the Ho'Din. 'He did intend to buy workers for his mine from me. I could have found him his workers and more pleasure slaves,' he told himself, '…and I still can'.

But now, things were different. His own schemes for building an empire had been dealt a critical blow. Raitt had been invited to a meeting with a governmental investigative team. _Invited?_ Tharakan didn't believe that for a single moment he'd had a choice in the matter. It had been an order. Raitt had died in their offices. They'd told his bewildered, mousy wife that a heart attack had killed him. His own informant inside the ruling body had admitted that this was the truth. It was ironic really, he thought with a grim smile. Raitt had everything at his fingertips until his own body gave out on him.

His distraught wife was no help to their business. She'd never even suspected what her husband had done to keep her in luxury. When they'd asked for the papers pertaining to their business deals, she had thrown them out denying all knowledge of such deals. Her husband had been an officer of the Empire not some cheap alien crook.

She would learn the truth soon enough. He would make sure of it.

He'd had a week to prepare himself to lead the syndicate with none of the information he had needed to take control. The data had to be in Raitt's office safe or the strong room in his mansion. It had been the logical solution – he was the most suited to leadership. He'd found out that Lord Diptil had been thinking the same. Then his building had been targeted. His first thought wasn't the anti-slavers coalition but his associate, Diptil. Then within a matter of days Diptil's premises had met the same costly fate.

It _was _the damned anti-slaver's coalition and they had changed their tactics, were becoming bolder in their actions.

It was time to leave the system and lie low for a while. Stefft had gone to get his house ready on Moltok. He had to collect his credits and valuables and leave as soon as he could before the anti-slavers came for him personally - and he knew that they would. His ship was ready and waiting. He'd accounted for everything but… Tharakan swallowed the last of his lum, deposited the tankard on the rickety table and strode from the tapcaf.

It had to still be inside the building.

**The _Wild Karrde_**

The _Wild Karrde's_ engines shut down and Mara released the breath she'd been so carefully holding. She hated the idea of returning but her ship was here and she needed it. The _Jade's Fire_ was more than just transport.

It would be different this time. She wasn't alone.

Karrde glanced at his second-in-command from the corner of his eye and watched as her hands gradually stopped gripping the armrests of the chair she'd been sitting in. "We're going to go and get your ship. I had a couple of our people secure it and keep a constant guard. No one's been near her."

"Good," Mara said decisively, trying to banish the strange feeling in her stomach. "Her alarm system is one of the best in the galaxy."

"That may be - but no ship is impossible to steal. No security measure can be absolutely foolproof."

"I know but the better the security system, the less likely it is to happen. I did wonder if she was still in one piece. I've been away for too long…months."

"Your ship is fine. You only have to say the word and the _Jade's Fire_ will be prepped for take off. You don't have to remain here any longer than you have to."

She nodded. "My enthusiasm for this end of the galaxy has faded somewhat. I think I'll try other parts next time."

Karrde smiled and flicked the switch activating the ship-wide com. "Captain's announcement," he declared. "No one is to leave the ship unless they are in small groups. This is a safety precaution. No one, and I repeat no one, is to go anywhere on their own."

Mara heard the low hum of murmured conversations. There would be no protests from the crew. Karrde had given such directions before. Many places in the galaxy weren't safe for unaccompanied travellers and you'd be considered a fool to travel alone.

She sighed. Had that made her a fool when she'd set off on her own to the Elrood Sector? She could have asked Lando to come with her. She could even have asked Skywalker but no, Mara Jade had still things to prove and in doing so had almost lost herself her own life.

Karrde flicked a look at Aves. The smuggler chief hesitated but felt that this course of action was for the best. "Mara…"

"What?"

"Aves and I will accompany you to the _Jade's Fire_."

"Of course." Mara fiddled with the end of her heavy braid of red-gold hair, her eyes staring at the grey deck plates beneath her feet. Why did she feel so apprehensive? She'd faced and overcome other such hurdles and dangers all of her life. She was still alive wasn't she? She lifted her head to make the protest that she knew they would expect her to make.

"Mara…Aves has offered to fly back to Coruscant with you."

"I should be okay. I don't need someone to hold my hand any longer…" Mara began to voice her objections but they lacked conviction and she knew it.

"Mara," Karrde stilled her protests with a gentle word. "No one is suggesting that you need your hand held…" He glanced up at Aves. "We just thought that you might like some company."

"I offered," the older man said. "I need to get back to make a run with the _Starry Ice_. Karrde has business in the Belgaroth system. It's quite practical. You are doing the organisation a favour. I get back to Coruscant – pick up the _Starry Ice _and I'm already ahead of schedule. If you don't want company I can go and sit in your spare cabin and you can drop me off on Czerip."

"I don't think that is necessary, Aves," Mara chuckled feeling reassured. "The company would be welcome."

"I'm very good at holding hands," Aves joked lightly.

"Yes, so I've heard but it didn't stop there and got you thrown out of several establishments," Karrde quipped lightly.

Aves plump unprepossessing face tried to look outraged. "Unfair, boss."

"Yes." Karrde's voice was dry. "I will meet you back on Coruscant. I will have a run for you if I'm successful with this trade." Karrde grinned at her, his pale blue eyes gleaming. "No, I cannot tell you what it is yet, Jade."

Mara grinned back feeling oddly relieved. A run, nothing complicated but she suddenly felt as if she was back in business – as if her life was back following some sort of path. Karrde's dry use of her second name added to that feeling. "I'll do it," she stated decisively.

"Good," Karrde said. "I thought you might."

Mara peered out of the viewport at the drab surroundings of the Aaris III spaceport and the basic control building ahead of her. Yes, her life was back on track but was she destined to remain a mere trader? She felt that her destiny lay in something greater.  Should her feet follow the difficult path of the Force and the Jedi? It suddenly felt like the right thing to do; she had to take that road.  Her life stretched before her in an unending vision of drab spaceports and nameless star systems if she didn't. What had once satisfied her now felt as if it tied her down. She thought of Luke. Her future was linked with his. She wasn't certain why but it just felt…like her destiny.  She owed it to herself and to Luke.

She would tell Karrde of her decision when they both returned to Coruscant - after she talked to Skywalker. She would only go to Yavin if the Jedi Master would agree to finish her training personally. It was the only way. She would accept no other master.

Mara and Aves left the bridge and headed back to their respective cabins to collect their belongings. "You did the right thing. This will make Karrde happier," Aves said quietly.

"I know," Mara admitted as she paused in front of her door. "I don't know when he turned into such a den mother."

"Calrissian will be happier too."

Mara's eyes narrowed. It was time to put a stop to this affair. "It has nothing to do with Calrissian," she snapped.

"But…"

"It was a business deal…nothing more," Mara muttered. "I was helping him with a job. Karrde knew about it."

"I see," Aves muttered but he didn't see at all. Mara and Calrissian had been involved in what appeared to be a hot and heavy romance for a long time. The holonet had been full of Calrissian's devotion to Mara as she'd been confined to the medicentre. It had been said that he'd rarely left her side.

By Mara's own admission, the relationship had been a cover for a job that Karrde wanted done. Aves wasn't upset at being left out of the loop. He'd played many a part for his boss and would do so again. The fewer people that were party to certain pieces of information meant it more likely the scheme would work.

The former administrator of Cloud City was a shrewd operator but Aves had been puzzled at what Mara had seen in the dark-skinned man. He didn't seem to be her type and she hadn't been calling for _him_ every night in the middle of her nightmares. But if it was a cover that Karrde had set up, it made sense.  Mara had often dealt with Calrissian with barely hidden disdain. Well, they'd certainly fooled him as well as the rest of the galaxy.

"He drives me mad," she mumbled.

"Five minutes," he said sensing that Mara didn't want to talk about Calrissian any longer. "I'll meet you at the exit ramp."

"Sure," she said.

Aves gave her a nod and headed for his own cabin.

Mara stepped off the bottom of the _Wild Karrde_'s exit ramp and tried not to show a sudden urge to laugh nervously. Karrde stood waiting for her flanked by three of his crew. They were standing to attention like stiff little Imperial soldiers, their blasters ready in their hands.

"Is this necessary, Karrde?" Mara drawled slowly.

"I think it is."

"It just looks a little too obvious. We don't want to attract attention. I want to go, collect my ship and fly out of here."

Karrde's eyes narrowed as he thought about what she'd said. "Fair enough," he conceded. "Smitt, Dankin… Return to the ship. We won't be hanging around here once Mara and Aves have left. "Zen'khas," he spoke to a large Agorffi, "…you're with me."

"Yes, boss." Zen'khas gripped his blaster tightly.

Mara grinned at Aves and joined the smuggler chief. "Get me to my ship," she ordered.

"Yes, Ma'am." Karrde chuckled. It was good to see Mara back like this although he suspected that he would lose her to the Jedi sooner rather than later. Since she'd recovered, there had been a certain air of distraction about her as if she was suddenly seeing things differently. Skywalker had it too sometimes.

Aves and Zen'khas fell in behind Mara and Karrde as they took the five minute stroll to the _Jade's Fire'_s docking bay.

"I want to know what happened, Karrde," Mara said, her manner direct. "I've waited to see if you would fill me in but you've said nothing and neither has Lando."

"I was waiting for you to ask the questions," Karrde answered. "I'm not keeping anything from you that you desperately need to know."

"Really." Mara arched a red-gold eyebrow. "You don't often bend reality with me, Karrde."

"You were attacked by a scouting party for a Ho'Din slaving lord."

"That part I do remember," Mara said feelingly. "It's the section after that, I can't."

"Not surprising," Karrde commented. "You were beaten, drugged and finally you became sick."

"I thought I'd picked up something," Mara said, satisfaction colouring her voice.

"That's enough for anyone to go through, let alone have to relive."

"I tried to cleanse my body with techniques Lu…" Mara frowned as something whispered to her in the Force. What was it trying to tell her? She shook her head. Time to dwell on that later. "Skywalker taught me," she finished gruffly, as if the mention of Luke was a sensitive issue.

"We heard of your whereabouts and came to collect you." Karrde kept his expression neutral. That wasn't a lie.

Mara clenched her fists and took a deep breath. "Why do I get the feeling that you're hiding something, Karrde?" A sudden dread crossed her mind. "They didn't…and I can't remember. I would know if they had…?"

Karrde's mouth dried as he saw terror in her eyes. It shook him. He knew Mara felt fear – they all did but she never showed it. When she did, that was a truly frightening thing. "No, they didn't. You were…left alone."

"That's a relief," she whispered as her eyes caught the graceful, streamlined hull of the _Jade's Fire_. "You got there in time and I'm grateful, Karrde."

Karrde swallowed. Skywalker and Solo had placed him in an invidious position. He hated being credited with their rescue. He wondered if he should just tell her everything. He opened his mouth, only to close it again as Mara started towards the docking bay.

Her heart pounded in her chest. Her ship and inside…her link to the Jedi. Her lightsaber. Becoming a Jedi had grown to be one of the most important things in Mara's mind. Possibly the desire had always been latent within her just waiting for the right moment to make itself felt.

As they approached the silver ship, four figures detached themselves from behind the vessel and Mara found her hand straying again to the blaster at her hip.

The tallest of the figures relaxed his grip on a powerful looking firearm. "Captain Karrde?"

"Erzon," Karrde said with a broad smile spreading across his face. "Any trouble?"

"Nothing much. A couple of individuals well known to us in the area did come looking last month but when we made our presence known, they backed off. We've been on twenty-six hours a day alert ever since. The vessel is secure."

A compact Rodian whistled something in his own language and Erzon laughed. "You got it, Heeto." He translated for Karrde and his companions. "Heeto thinks they would have run away in any case. They wouldn't know how to get it off the ground."

Mara gave a husky laugh. "They would have some difficulty. You have to put the correct code into the navicomp or it won't leave the permacite. How are you, Heeto?"

The Rodian chuckled something incomprehensibly and Mara chuckled.

"What did he say?" asked Karrde.

"I haven't a clue," Mara said out of the side of her mouth."

Karrde laughed. "Thank you for your time, gentlemen. Your accounts will be credited with the usual rates."

Mara could tell that the men were pleased. Karrde paid handsomely for a job well done. She stepped past Karrde and let her hands linger on the smooth surface of the Fire's hull. Keying in her entrance code, she waited for the ramp to lower.

Mara walked sedately into her ship. She'd thought she might never see it again and then her desire to feel her lightsaber in her hand took over. Racing to her cabin, Mara slapped her door release and gazed at things undisturbed for nearly six months.

_Where was it?_

Mara threw open her locker and rummaged frantically through the contents. Where _was _it?

_'Easy, Jade,'_ she seemed to hear. _'Calm and peace, remember?'_

"It's simple for you to say, Skywalker," she grumbled, not realising that she was having a conversation with a man who was on the other side of the galaxy.

_'Never simple in your mind, Mara. Always a problem.'_

Mara suddenly did understand what she was doing. "I'm having a conversation with Skywalker and he's starting to talk like Yoda? He's _not_ another Palpatine," she told herself. "He's different. This has never happened before. It's a fluke. I'm hearing things. I have to be. I've turned the voice of my conscience into Luke Skywalker. I don't need that in my life right now."

But she never turned down a piece of good, free advice. Yeah, right. Calm and at peace. Mara closed her eyes, held out her hand and reached for her lightsaber.

A serene expression crossed her face. Of course it was simple. She reached deep into the well of warmth and security that was the Force. She even thought that she touched a presence or two as she did so. She could almost see Luke on Yavin teaching his students, his handsome face serious, occasionally breaking into a smile when the student achieved their goal. Mara relaxed, her hand steadied and, from the depths of her locker, the lightsaber flew into her grasp.

Her fingers tightened around the casing and, with her eyes still closed, she thumbed it on. The familiar snap-hiss sound filled her cabin. Mara opened her eyes to see the blue blade fizzing and sparking in front of her in the dim lighting. "Yes," she breathed, a sense of completeness filling her soul.

"I'm going to finish my training," she declared. "Next time I'll be ready. This is not enough any more." As always when she thought about finishing her training her mind turned to the man who had given her the saber. "Damn you, Skywalker, for being right. I'll come to you if you want to train me." She gave a dry little laugh. "Of course he wants to train me."

'_I'll be waiting.'_

Again she could hear his voice as clearly as if he were standing next to her. The ways of the Force were strange indeed.

She shut off her saber and gave herself a quick inspection in the reflector. She didn't appear to be any different for the woman who had set out for the Elrood sector all those months ago. She stared hard at herself trying to see past her attractive façade. Not many people saw the real Mara Jade. Even Karrde couldn't guess at the mass of seething uncertainties under her very skin. She met her own clear green eyes in the glass and frowned. She saw the same pale oval face, the same smooth complexion and the same wild, vibrant red-gold hair. She'd braided it tightly in a thick rope down the centre of her back and its lustre hadn't dimmed under its confinement. 

Her clothes made no statement about what kind of person she was. Her blue jumpsuit and over tunic were the best that Karrde's organisation could provide. She hung her lightsaber from the belt surrounding her trim waist.

She looked exactly like she always did but she felt different inside.

"Mara!" Aves' voice interrupted her contemplations. "Which cabin?"

She gave her tunic a final tug and stuck her head out of her cabin door. "Third door on your left."

"Thanks." Aves disappeared inside hefting a large carryall.

Mara slapped her door release closed and made her way to the weapons locker. They'd taken her small wrist holster and tiny blaster but she had a spare. Her fingers located the weapon. It was as much a part of her as the lightsaber. The wrist holster slid over her slender fingers and she tightened the straps, diligently testing that it couldn't slip.

_'A Jedi relies only on their lightsaber. Nothing as random or as clumsy as a blaster.'_

A memory of Luke teaching a class of Jedi initiates came to mind and she smiled. "Can a lightsaber do this?" Mara had asked him and proceeded to show him how elegant her own weapon could be while in the hands of a former Imperial assassin trained by the best to be the best. Obi-Wan Kenobi had never seen a blaster in the hands of someone like Mara Jade.

Luke had smiled and conceded but had spoken the last word. _'Working with a lightsaber is a discipline for the body and the mind.'_

The vibroshiv was slipped inside her boot and another knife into a small backpack. Karrde wasn't going to like this but she had to see where they'd taken her.

"Ready to go?" Karrde asked quietly.

"Nearly...Karrde?"

"What is it, Mara?" Karrde watched as his second-in-command slowly closed and secured the weapons locker.

"I need to see where I was held." She turned her head slowly to meet his eyes. "It must be close and I'm betting that you know where it is."

"I do." Karrde's stomach sank. She was single minded to a degree. He should have expected this.

"You found me there after all."

"No, we didn't," Karrde contradicted her. "You were found on Elrood. But you were apparently kept here for most of the time that you were missing."

"I was taken here. I can remember that now but after that things are still a little… foggy." Mara's voice was dry and her smile slightly amused but her voice trembled on the last word of her sentence.

"We didn't want you to have to relive your experiences…"

"I can face what I have to, Karrde. I've faced worse than this and still lived. It's the not knowing that's driving me crazy. Help me remember," she pleaded, her fingers curling into her palms with frustration. "So let me _see_." Her jade-green eyes were bright with an inner fervour. "Please," she whispered.

The smuggler released the breath he'd been holding. "If you are sure?"

"Something is calling me there, Talon. I need the closure and I won't have that until I see it. Just from a distance. I don't want to march in there and say, 'Hey! Remember me?'"

Karrde frowned. "That wouldn't be a good idea, Jade. However, it won't be a problem now."

"It won't?"

"No, there's a little group that like to call themselves the anti-slavers coalition and..."

"That's a bit of a mouthful," Mara interrupted lightly.

"Whatever they call themselves is good by me. They dropped a couple of thermal detonators on Tharakan's headquarters last week."

Mara's mouth twitched into a smile of grim satisfaction. "Good."

Karrde raised an eyebrow but he couldn't suppress a smile. "I thought the Jedi weren't into revenge?"

Mara's smile was full of dark amusement. "They tend not to be but I'm not a Jedi Knight yet. They do, however, understand the idea of justice." Mara lifted her sleeve and Karrde saw her tiny holdout blaster attached securely to her wrist. "I'm still keeping my options open but justice to me is a far better word."

Aves stepped forward. He'd been listening to the conversation for quite a while. "The place is close, boss. We can walk to it."

"Very well." Karrde was clearly unhappy about this but Mara was grateful that he chose not to pursue an argument. He flipped open his comlink. "Zen'khas – are Heeto and Erzon still with you? Good. Tell them I need them for escort duty and they'll be paid extra for their trouble." He gave a short burst of laughter. "Good. We'll be with you in two minutes." He closed his comlink. "You're both fully armed?"

Mara nodded her red-gold head.

"Yes, boss," Aves patted the powerful blasters held in quick-draw low slung holsters.

"They didn't get Tharakan, did they?" Mara asked glumly."

"No," Karrde replied. "He's vanished. Probably lying low off-world."

"Let's get it over with," Mara said decisively. "Then I can get on with my life."


	19. Part 19

**The Emerald Price Chapter 19**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

****

**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you?

**Aaris III**

Mara, Karrde and Aves left the _Jade's Fire_ accompanied by the Rodian, Heeto, the human, Erzon and the Agorffi, Zen'khas. All were armed. They headed out of the spaceport on foot and after a few minutes found themselves in what appeared to be a business sector. Offices and governmental building lined the narrow alleyways making the whole area somewhat oppressive.

"Force! This looks just like the bureaucratic centre on any Imperially held world," Mara commented with surprise.

"The Empire _did_ reach all the way out here, Jade," Aves declared.

"I know that," she retorted. "I came to many places like this. They were all constructed to the same design using the same materials. Conformity pleased the Emperor. Personally, I hated everything being the same." She arched a red-gold eyebrow. "I would never have divulged that small piece of rebellion to my former master."

Aves grinned. Mara was returning more and more to the woman he'd first met over ten years ago. Perhaps she wasn't quite the same. Time had mellowed her a little although he would be the last one to ever suggest that to her. He valued his skin.

"They were never much for imaginative architecture," Mara said taking in the drab, box-like structures. "And they may have reached out here but they never controlled out here. Much to the Emperor's anger." She rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand. The skies were leaden and grey but the whole atmosphere had turned hot and humid.

"It's this one." Karrde stopped before a tall grey building.

"It doesn't look damaged," Aves said.

Mara's critical eye took in the whole construction. "There are cracks in the duracrete façade. The gate has been partially torn off and…" she peered at the structure, "it's listing to one side. It could collapse at any time."

"Your friends sure did a number on this one."

"Not my friends," Karrde muttered. "Skywalker and Solo know them."

Mara froze. Luke and Han knew the anti-slavers coalition? "They do?"

"Negotiations with the New Republic," Karrde admitted. "They're sending a delegation out here."

"Oh!" Mara mumbled but she was quite sure that there was more to this part of this story than Karrde was letting on. How did the Jedi Master and Solo come to know an obscure organisation on a third-rate planet at the wrong end of the galaxy? She was sure they hadn't met over a negotiating table. These were not the types of groups normally invited to such talks.

She waved her hand at the building. "So what exactly did these people do?"

Karrde pulled a data card and a reader from his pocket. "My information states that the thermal detonators were shot into the building as if they were proton torpedoes and that they hit the other side of the building."

"Round the back," Aves put in helpfully and Mara sent him a withering green stare.

"They were fired from a building over a mile away."

"Impressive," Mara said. "What do they do at parties?" Karrde gave her a look that told her that he wasn't amused at her levity. "I was trying to lighten the situation," she grumbled like a small child.

"Hardly the time or the place, Mara," Karrde said reprovingly.

"Sorry," Mara apologised.

The remnants of the durasteel security gate creaked as it hung precariously from its hinges. Heeto pulled out his rifle and headed cautiously into the back compound.

"Shall we?" Karrde waved his blaster pistol which he'd transferred into his hand.

"Why not," Mara replied airily, although a strange nervousness gripped her. She'd been here as a potential slave. They'd been going to sell her. The thought was unsettling.

The whole area was eerily silent. Mara didn't like the feeling but assumed that was because she'd been a prisoner there. The small group cautiously followed the Rodian around the building until they reached the vehicle park. A few pathetic burned out speeders and mangled swoop bikes were the only things left. Closer up it was obvious that the façade was merely a shell. Mara could almost see and touch the durasteel frame that had once kept the building strong. It was a ruin.

Mara advanced closer to the building and began to examine a buckled structural support.

"Careful, Mara" Karrde called.

"Yeah," she mumbled. "They really hit this hard didn't they?" A large gaping aperture caught her eye and she peered closer. Something shifted in the Force calling her. "I'm going inside," she decided suddenly.

Karrde's mouth dropped open. Had she gone mad? Perhaps she'd been released from the medicentre far too soon and the stress of being back on Aaris III had finally caught up with her. "Mara!"

"I have to go inside," she repeated more firmly. "I can't explain why."

"That's not good enough. This is a foolish notion…Mara!"

"It's not safe," Aves said worriedly looking at Karrde for guidance.

"Tell me something I don't know." Mara closed her eyes and reached out to the Force. "I'm still going in," she said opening her eyes. They glowed more brightly if it was possible. "It's calling."

"What is?" Karrde moved to stop her but was too late.

"Don't know," she mumbled as she stepped inside.

"Mara!" Karrde shouted, but she'd vanished. "Hell!" He stamped his foot in frustration. He didn't need this right now. "We'd better go in after her."

"Keep the com channel open, boss," Aves advised nervously. "I don't know if this pile of bricks is up to too many people wandering around it. Give her a chance to have a quick look around and then tell her to get out."

"I'd rather she came out now," Karrde gritted but pulled out his com and thumbed it on.

The thermal detonator had completely compacted the inside of the building. The fourth floor was presumably now right on top of the first with the others squeezed in between. Mara suspected that looters had also ransacked the place. They were possibly more efficient than the thermal detonators had been. She stepped carefully over fragments of something that looked to have been made from boa-wood. A chair or a table? It was difficult to tell. Whatever it had been was immaterial. It was now smashed to pieces.

Luke had owned a boa-wood trunk, she thought. Did he still have it? She could see it in her mind's eye in his suite of rooms on Yavin. Obviously of great age, it had been intricately and beautifully carved. It had once belonged to Obi-Wan Kenobi and was something the Jedi Master now treasured. Yes, Mara decided – Luke still had the trunk. It would be worth a small fortune by now but Luke would never part with it. He was right, she was sure of it. There was more to life than credits. Being a Jedi was important – no, it was vital.

Her footsteps crunched over pieces of fallen masonry and smashed possessions. Something that had probably once been a desk lurched drunkenly to one side, drawers gaping open like a slack jawed clawfish. Durasteel girders were painfully twisted and exposed, the guts of the building ravaged as if torn asunder by a wild beast. Mara assessed the safety of what she could see. She gauged that she had very little time. The building was ready to collapse at any moment.

She crouched down beside the desk and scrabbled in the residue left in the drawer. Her hands closed over something that felt like a pile of data cards. "It might be nothing," she said to herself. "Might be nothing at all but you never know." She reached a little further in and her hand closed around something soft. Reaching around and into the small backpack she was wearing Mara pulled out a compact luma and checked her finds. Yes, there were some data cards and a small jewel pouch. Tipping it up, Mara grinned as a shower of small gems glittered onto her outstretched palm. That amount of jewels would buy her and Karrde a small cup of caf each. Not worth very much but better than nothing at all. She'd stumbled onto Aaris III's version of the petty cash.

The Force whispered once again to her. There was something else for her here. Mara stuffed the data cards and the jewels in her backpack and crawled forward towards a narrow space between two fallen struts, the luma grasped firmly in her hand.  As she moved beneath a slanting ceiling support, Mara noticed that the floor dropped away from her. Carefully, she slipped her legs over the edge and dropped down to the lower level where a welcome draught of cold air greeted her. She hadn't been aware of how stuffy and hot it was. There was an exit around here somewhere. Mara bent down to examine some more data cards, but these looked too damaged for her to take with her. A pity, as she'd always been told that information was power and there might be something that could help these anti-slavers gain the upper hand. Tharakan had escaped the blast. All he would do would be to lie low for a little while and then start up his business once more. He had to be stopped for good.

Suddenly, she heard the noise of approaching footsteps. She exhaled an angry breath. It had to be Karrde. Didn't he trust her not to get into trouble? She'd flown the galaxy alone for years before she'd hooked up with him. She was not some fragile female who wilted and ran screaming at the first sign of danger.

"Karrde!" Mara said quietly. "I don't need…"

There was no answer so she began to sift through some more scattered data cards, message cubes and cracked glass information rods, all the time her senses on full alert. Someone was close and it didn't feel like Karrde. She grabbed a handful of cards and a couple of cubes and shoved them into one of her pockets.

"What do you think you are doing?" It wasn't Karrde. This was a new voice and not the cultured tones of the smuggler chief. This voice was eerily familiar and her stomach knotted alarmingly.

_'Idiot, Jade,'_ she castigated herself silently. She'd ignored the promptings from the Force that her danger sense normally gave her. She realised that her feeling of dread had been building since she'd moved to this part of the property. Karrde would not induce such feelings within her. Mara swivelled sharply, her hand automatically moving to the hilt of her lightsaber and to her horror found herself looking at a tall hooded figure. Her danger sense began to scream.

She knew this tall alien. She'd seen him before in her nightmares. This was the being behind her capture.

Tharakan stood balanced on a pile of crumbling permacite blocks. He'd been able to salvage some of his possessions before the looters had taken the rest. At least they hadn't taken…his hand closed mover the object in his pocket. No, at least it was safe. Gingerly, he made his way across the room until he faced the woman sifting through various objects lying on the ground, his blaster trained on her figure. It was a pity his business was currently non-operational. She looked as if she might have fetched a decent price. "Well, well, well," the Ho'Din drawled. "What do we have here? I thought there was nothing left to loot."

Mara lifted her chin and prepared herself for action. This bastard had robbed her of months of her life. He was not taking her down a second time. Her hand drifted towards her belt.

"Keep your hands where I can see them," the alien snapped.

"Your eyes can deceive you." Mara tauntingly uttered one of Luke's oft repeated Jedi phrases.

Tharakan's heart catapaulted into his mouth and back into his chest again. The sharpness of the vivid green eyes, the creamy perfection of her skin, and the colour of the tightly braided hair added to the slim, athletic figure. He'd seen this woman before. Recognition finally sunk in. This was the slave he'd sold to the Prince of Mittenden IV.

"You!" he hissed.

"So you remember me," Mara drawled insolently. "I have that effect on people." Where was Karrde when she actually needed him? She ignored the fact that it had been her own idea to enter the building. "I, surprisingly enough, remember you, too."

"But you were sold. We _sold_ you. You were dying so we sold you."

"Sold!" Mara's lips were white. "You sold me?" Her anger instantly rose. She belonged to no one. Mara's saber leapt off her belt and into her hand before Tharakan could react. The blue blade ignited with a furious snap-hiss. "I was _sold_? Someone _bought _me?"

_'No, Mara, no! Anger is of the dark side.'_

A familiar voice sounded inside her head. "Shut up," she snarled. The voice was clear.

"What!" the slave lord exclaimed.

"Not you," Mara bit out through clenched teeth. "Him." She advanced towards the Ho'Din, hate in her eyes. "You sold me."

Tharakan raised his blaster. He couldn't see any one else but that did not mean that they weren't there. "Yes, that's what I do. I'm a business man. I buy and sell. My stock just happens to be slaves. It pays rather well, and you were a premium item. There weren't many slaves who garnered the amount of credits for me that you did. How did you escape from your owner? He will not be pleased that his property is loose and picking through rubble when it should be pleasuring him in his bed."

Mara's ire threatened to explode once more but that would get her nowhere. "Sold," she grated out again.

"How you do fixate on that one word. It wasn't personal." The woman was glaring at him with her magnificent eyes. Would she take him on and did she…could she have backup? But he couldn't see anyone else with her. Again he tried to covertly scan around him. They _were_ alone.

He had no doubt at all that she was the slave the prince had bought. He had only ever seen one woman with eyes so clearly green in a face so beautiful with hair like fire. But she was wielding a weapon he had only seen on the holonet – a lightsaber. Had he managed to capture a Jedi Knight and hadn't known it? Jedi Knights didn't wander around Aaris Spaceport alone.

How had she achieved her liberty? Had the prince been unhappy with her performance? She couldn't possibly be a Jedi. She must have acquired the weapon somehow and learned how to use it. The blue blade buzzed making the snake-like tentacles on his head writhe uneasily. Had she been freed by the prince or the anti-slavers coalition? Nervously he returned to the notion of a possible ambush. Were there more of them waiting for him? His gripped his blaster more tightly. Was she the bait? He would not be taken by them. He would use the woman as a hostage. He cast a regretful look over her figure. What a waste of a quality piece of merchandise.

Mara spoke into the com attached to her collar. "Karrde…"

"Mara, would you get out of there…Where the hell…"

"I've hit a small problem."

"Problem?"

"I've got…company."

"We're on our way."

"Hurry. Go round the far side."

Tharakan's amusement was cold as he flicked the setting on his blaster from stun to kill. He was right. It was a trap. "Your pitiful friends cannot save you a second time, mistress." A calculating arrogance on his face, his eyes raked up and down her figure. "I think I should contact the prince. He paid most handsomely for your charms the first time around. I wonder what he might do to get you back a second time?"

"No one is getting me _anytime_ if I have anything to do with it. "Mara raised her lightsaber.

"Surrender to me and you won't get hurt," Tharakan tried to persuade her, his voice seductive.

Mara snorted and waved the saber nearer to the man's face and laughed. "No."

"I will have to kill you."

Mara laughed again, the sound mocking the dark chill that had entered the room. "I would like to see you try. How many of your men did it take to capture me in the first place? How many of them will never open their eyes again?"

Tharakan shrugged. He'd forgotten that but he had a top of the range blaster and she was waving a lightsaber at him. There was no contest, surely.

"I used to be an assassin. An Imperial assassin," Mara said sneeringly. "I have faced worse than a single being with a blaster and survived. My opponent did not."

Tharakan experienced the first stirrings of fear. She was bluffing.

Mara raised her saber ready to strike him down.

_'No, Mara! Not in cold blood. Release your anger.'_

"Luke!" She heard his voice again and stretched out to find the source of the light and warmth she always craved. "Luke!" What was happening? She was hearing Luke's voice as clearly as she had once heard Palpatine's.

Tharakan could see the confusion cross the woman's face and, sensing her distraction, fired. Mara instantaneously jerked her saber up in front of her face and deflected the bolt; it hit one of the naked durasteel supports making the whole frame creak agonisingly.

"That's not possible," the Ho'Din gasped in shock and for the first time felt real terror. He raised his blaster once again and began firing rapidly at his former captive. Mara blocked every single shot until one of them deflected straight back at the slave lord, drilling into his forehead.

With a muffled oath and a surprised expression on his face, Tharakan toppled forward. As he hit the ground with a crash something shiny dropped from his hand and rolled towards Mara. Bending forwards to pick it up, she wondered if it was her imagination or were the walls shaking?

_Shaking...!_ Oh, Sithspit!

"Mara!"

She could hear voices shouting to her left and through her open com. She thrust the object into her pocket and stood up trying to get her bearings. One imperial building was very much like another.

"I'm not far from the port side exit," she yelled. "Heading that way." Swiftly she turned and ran along a passage until she could go no further. Igniting her saber once again, she began to try and cut through the wall in front of her.

"Mara!"

"I can hear you, Karrde," she shouted. "Stand back. I'm going to use my lightsaber." Mara plunged the weapon into the wall and could see that it had been weakened by the original blast. Soon she could see daylight and then Aves and Karrde were pulling her through.

"I'm okay," she told the two anxious faces, Karrde's hair turned prematurely grey with white permacite flakes and Aves wielding a large metal strut.

"Company?" Karrde queried.

"Would you believe that Tharakan hadn't left the planet?"

"He showed up," Aves supplied.

"You guessed correctly," Mara said glibly. "However, Tharakan met with a little accident." Mara gave a wry grin which turned serious. "One of the shots I blocked deflected straight back at him - killed him instantly."

"Good," growled Karrde. "Saved me doing it. You did the galaxy a favour."

"He came back to look for something," Mara commented, turning her head as there was a creaking groan followed by a crash inside the building.

"You got out just in time," Aves said quietly.

"Yes." Mara handed Karrde a stack of data cards. "I don't assume these will help the anti-slavers much but you never know. I picked up message cubes and data rods." She indicated a bulging pocket.

"Thank you." Karrde pocketed some of the items. "I'll see they get passed on to Adremetis. Now let's get out of here. I've spent all the time that I want to on Aaris III."

"Adremetis?" She'd heard that name. It sounded very familiar.

"Leader of the…"

"Anti-slavers coalition," Mara finished. "I understand."

They escorted Mara back to the _Fire _and waited until she and Aves were airborne. He thanked Erzon and Heeto once again before boarding the _Wild Karrde._

"Belgaroth system, Dankin," Karrde ordered."

"Course already laid in, boss."

"Good. Get us out of here.

****

**_The Jades Fire_**

****

The ship had moved into hyperspace, Aves had retired to his cabin for the night and Mara was left alone in the cockpit gazing out at the streaming lines of stars.

Gingerly she put her hand in her pocket and withdrew the object she'd taken from Tharakan. All at once a vision assailed her. She saw tanned hands holding arcane tools in a desert hut. She could feel the emotions of grief and pain as a wild wind surrounded him.

With an exclamation of surprise Mara dropped the object and looked at it properly for the first time. It was a large green multifaceted crystal. Carefully with trembling fingers she picked it up and placed it in the palm of her hand. As she did so, the jewel came alive and glowed with an inner light.

Mara stared at the crystal, shaken to her core. She knew what this was and who it belonged to. But how had the focusing crystal from Luke Skywalker's lightsaber come to be in the hands of a slave lord on Aaris III?

Mara suspected that she knew the answer to that one. The recollection of a man with Skywalker's handsome face but with eyes colder than Hoth pressing her against him, teased her memory.

**Coruscant**

Mara's return to the Core System was largely uneventful. Aves had left her alone to join Faughn on the _Starry Ice. _She cleaned her apartment and dealt with months of ignored record keeping. She built up her fitness again to the level it had been before her abduction and subsequent rescue. Every night she returned to her apartment and confronted the green jewel glowing on her desk. Every time she touched it she saw a vision or experienced a memory belonging to Skywalker and the Jedi. It was unnerving.

There was only one explanation for why the jewel had been found there but Karrde hadn't seen fit to tell her the truth. Hell, there was someone else who should have given her the explanation. He'd had ample opportunity. She hadn't been unconscious all the time. What did he think she would do when she found out – run him through with the saber he'd once owned, the one he'd gifted to her, for saving her life?

A light flashed on her com console. Mara pushed the gem away from her and flicked the switch to receive her call. Seconds later the handsome, grinning face of Lando Calrissian filled the screen. She stifled a groan and attempted a smile in return.

"Hey, Jade." Lando's voice was jovial. "I heard that you were back in town."

"I wouldn't exactly refer to the jewel of the Core Worlds as a town…" Mara's eyes tracked to the green gem in front of her.

"I thought we could celebrate."

"Celebrate what?"

"We'll think of something," Lando said. "Your return to Coruscant will do for starters. I've booked a table at the Gilded Thranta."

"You don't say," Mara muttered. It was almost impossible to obtain a table there. The food was reputed to be the finest that Coruscant currently had to offer. "Pick me up in two hours," she said. He'd been extremely attentive to her since she'd recovered and she'd almost found pleasure in his company. They'd fallen back into their pattern of dining together until he'd left for Systra on a short business trip and she'd returned to Aaris III. That last trip to Aaris had made up her mind for her. She couldn't continue this relationship that was going nowhere with Lando.

Calrissian had answers that she wanted to hear and if he'd booked the Gilded Thranta, she could hear them there.

Lando gazed admiringly at the exotic beauty of the woman sitting opposite him. She'd appeared outside her apartment door dressed in a gown of gauzy, shimmering gold, her hair swept into a sophisticated chignon fixed with gold and crystal pins.

Mara sipped her sparkling white wine. She'd tried not to search for any hidden agendas and stifled her constant urge to snap at the man. Something in her wanted what Lando was offering yet, paradoxically, not with him.

"I have several bolts of glimmer silk lying in one of my warehouses," Lando told her, his eyes tracing her lovely features. "They could only be enhanced by your beauty."

Mara raised a cynical eyebrow. Lando knew all the lines. "A trade?"

Lando shook his head. "A gift." He reached across the table and took her slender hand in his own but Mara immediately pulled it away.

"Don't."

"But Jade, I…"

"You don't love me, Calrissian." Mara's voice was so low that he had to strain his ears to hear it.

"You don't believe in love."

Mara frowned. "Whoever told you that?"

"You did. Love is a valuable commodity…"

"But I have no use for it?" Mara finished the sentence. "I did say that but I never said that I didn't believe in it."

Lando looked at the white perfection of the table linen as if he were making his mind up about something. He lifted his eyes and gazed at her. "Would it be so strange for me to fall in love with you, Mara Jade?"

As Mara gazed into his dark face, a shiver ran through her. 'His eyes weren't blue', was all that she could think as Lando reached for her hand once more.

"I am falling in love with you, Mara."

Mara gave a cynical little chuckle. "I don't believe you. I've said 'no' too many times before."

"Mara!"

She moved her hand, holding it up in a graceful staying motion. "You enjoy the chase. If I'd given in, you would have moved on to someone else by now. I've tried to feel more for you," she admitted. "I thought perhaps gratitude could be enough for a relationship. I had hoped that something could grow between us."

"'Gratitude?' 'Something could grow?'" he repeated.

Mara flicked him a calculating glance from her green eyes. "You and Karrde travelling all the way to the Outer Rim and saving my life. It's not enough. I like you, Lando. You can be good company but I don't love you and I know that for me to pursue a relationship with anyone, I would have to love them."

"I see," Lando swallowed. "Have you anyone in mind?" For a split second Lando could see that he'd startled her.

"No. I may never find that special person. I have to be honest. But I know that it isn't you."

"Oh. What are you planning to do next?"

"First, I want to complete my Jedi training. I'm ready to do it now."

"Ah!" Hostility coloured Lando's voice. "What's Skywalker saying about that? I suppose he may be almost happy."

"This is not about Skywalker," Mara said wondering about the ill-feeling she could sense. Surely Luke and Lando hadn't fallen out? She had noted a strained atmosphere in the medicentre but had concluded that they'd been worried about her. "This is about me and what I want and need." She gave Lando a quizzical look. "Have you and the Jedi boy had a disagreement? I thought I was the only one that argued with him."

"Skywalker doesn't argue."

Mara grinned. "Oh, but he does."

"We had a disagreement."

"About what?" Mara wondered aloud.

"It doesn't matter." Lando's face tightened.

"Maybe it does," Mara commented sagely. She had the notion it had quite a lot to do with her. "Luke doesn't like to be at odds with his friends."

Lando dipped his head. "I'm not proud of this, Jade. I'm jealous of him."

"Jealous!" Mara's voice shot up. "Of Skywalker? You are joking. I thought you considered him the friend you looked down on. No fashion sense, no love-life, no interest in money…"

"I'm envious of his purpose…his goal. He knows what he wants in life and is prepared to give everything to achieve that. He will die trying."

"That's what worries me," Mara whispered.

"You have no need to be grateful to me," he said quietly. "Karrde brought you back to Coruscant. I was never near the Outer Rim. I was on Systra finalising my deal to take over the Klaz Kasino chain."

Mara knew of the multi-credit spinning business. She gave a little whistle. "Congratulations." Her mind began to tick over. Lando hadn't gone for her but someone had. Karrde had brought her back. Lando was only confirming what she already knew but someone else had been there too and he'd said nothing.

"I should have been with you." Lando's voice interrupted her thoughts.

She sighed. "My nerf-like obstinacy was at fault – not you. I should not have gone alone but I was stubborn and that nearly got me killed. If you had been with me there is no guarantee that they wouldn't have gone for both of us." She found the stem of her glass and wrapped her fingers around it. "I don't blame you."

"Mara…can't you give me anything more? I thought after all the functions we've attended together, all the appearances we've made that you liked my company."

"I did…I do…most of the time." Mara shook her head. He was handsome, charming and financially independent and he thought he was in love with her but Mara knew that it wasn't enough. She shook her head again. "Just not like…that."

"Then we must end our 'affair' and not see one another. I'm ending our arrangement. Our relationship is over."

"Not see one another," she echoed. Mara's mouth dropped open. He was dumping her? Illogically, the thing that she'd wanted to happen for months had happened and she wasn't pleased. She'd grown to enjoy being wined and dined in the best restaurants. Somehow she didn't think such things would happen on Yavin IV. Last time she'd been there places for fine dining hadn't been much in evidence.

"Karrde was right and so were you. This has gone on long enough. I have feelings for you – rather inconvenient as you can't return them. This time I can take the hint. As you said yourself, you may never find that special person – perhaps you are incapable of loving him."

Mara wiped her face of all expression and hid her irritation. She'd given him so many _hints_ that she'd practically painted him a sith-spawned diagram – pompous idiot. He thought it was her fault that she was unable to love him. Deep down, Mara knew she had the ability to love. She just hadn't set it free. There was a man out there in the galaxy waiting for her and she would know him when she saw him. Momentarily Skywalker's face flashed into her mind's eye and she dismissed him immediately. He was attractive; Mara admitted that much, but far too distracting.

"I should have realised that you were incapable of loving a man like me. Pity you'll never realise what you are missing."

Mara clenched her fists. She would not punch him in the mouth. She would not punch him, she repeated to herself. She would not…

"Perhaps you should go and see Skywalker…finish that Jedi training. He'll be glad to see you after he went all that way to get you out of trouble." Lando motioned the waiter over and swiftly paid their bill. "He hasn't had much luck in the love stakes either."

"He has a good heart," Mara defended the absent Jedi, then stopped as his face refused to stay banished. "What do you mean 'went all that way'?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Lando muttered, a sneer on his face.

Mara placed her wrap about her shoulders. The evening had come to a rather sudden and uncomfortable end. "Tell me," she demanded.

"Yes, Jade," Lando said as he ushered her towards the speeder. "I guess he does have 'a good heart'. It wasn't me who rescued you, nor was it your devoted boss. Your knight…" he laughed bitterly. "Your knight in threadbare black Jedi robes was none other than Skywalker himself. He put his whole Jedi order on hold until he rescued you."

She'd known it – somehow, for the first time, everything made perfect sense. "I don't know what to say," Mara murmured trying to appear bemused by it all. Lando had just told her what she'd suspected. Luke _had_ come for her. She'd called for him and she'd heard him answer her. Of course Luke would rescue her. She would do the same for him. They were _friends._ But the lightsaber crystal – where did that come in?

Lando's voice was hard. "I don't take credit for another man's work. I was on Systra the whole time finalising my deal. I only arrived in time for you to wake up."

"I don't understand," Mara said. "Why all this subterfuge?"

"You'll have to ask the Jedi for that one. He has all the answers."

"No, not all of them," Mara disagreed. "But he's left me with many questions and I intend to _find_ the answers." She gave Lando a penetrating stare. "You came to visit me in the medicentre, you've taken me out on many occasions since this whole thing happened and not once…not _once_ have you given me any indication that this was all a lie. I wouldn't exactly say that was not taking credit for another man's work."

Lando glowered darkly but she was right.


	20. Part 20

**The Emerald Price Chapter 20**

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**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you?

**Coruscant**

Mara Jade's temper was unpredictable at the best of times and those around her had learned to identify the moments when her mood was at its most volatile. This was one of those times. Talon Karrde had been monitoring reports from his crew from off world - reports which were growing in frequency.

She'd been simmering with suppressed fury for three days until Karrde had finally had enough. She was going to burst if she didn't get whatever was bothering her off her chest. Her irritation had steadily grown as she'd begun to piece together the facts about her little misadventure. Either she would burst or cause someone a grievous injury. On reflection, the latter was more likely and Karrde had decided for Mara's sake, and that of his weary crew that it was a time to put business aside and address the problem. Karrde was no coward when it came to facing Mara Jade in a temper and knew she was going through a difficult time just as Luke had said she would. He watched from the bridge as they came to rest in the Coruscant Westport Space station.

Framed behind the open blast doors of the next hanger, Karrde watched Mara Jade, welding torch in hand, working determinedly on the _Fire. _Her unrestrained red hair caught and reflected the light of the torch, flickering in its unsteady beam as she hung upside down in order to reach the small fuse box on the underside of the ship's port wing.

"We couldn't free up a maintenance lift for another 10 minutes – she refused to wait," Aves said plainly as he stepped to Karrde's side. "Good thing you're back. If she spends another hour down here we're going to lose the machine crew to Booster Terrik's team…" Mara swung her body upward snapping orders at the machine droid who held a tray of spare parts. "Or to her own bare hands…" Slamming the old fitting down on the tray, she grabbed a new one and swung backwards relighting her torch as she went. 

"I can't even subject a droid to such danger." Karrde tried to make light of the situation, but he knew all too well how serious things had turned. "Has she said anything yet?"

"No." Aves stared across the hanger. "She's just been barking out orders and throwing data pads and tools about ever since she met with Calrissian a few days ago."

"She's seen Calrissian? That explains a lot. He does seem to incite fury in her, almost as well as Skywalker can." Although not a Force adept, Karrde could read people like few could and the slight shift in the older man's jaw at the word 'Skywalker' was not lost on the trader. "Anything else, Aves." It was not a question.

"She's been calling out to him in her sleep," Aves confessed reluctantly and turned to meet his employer's eye. To Karrde there was no need to clarify that 'him' was Skywalker. "I found her yesterday fast asleep in the gym. She's wearing herself out…"

"Since you returned to Coruscant?"

"No - before we even _left _Coruscant. When we returned to Aaris III to collect the _Fire._"

"I see."  Karrde spoke evenly. 

In the exchange neither man had noticed Mara approaching until she was a mere step away from them. 

Aves gave her a curt nod. "Mara." Then turning back to Karrde he muttered, "Welcome back, Boss." Quickly he retreated back towards the _Wild Karrde_.

"Karrde. You're back early. I didn't expect you for at least another two days." Her voice was civil but as she pulled the welding goggles from her head Talon caught a glimpse of the turmoil and ice his crew had been experiencing over the past few days. How much had she remembered?  What had Lando said?

"I finished early.  No need to dawdle." He studied her keenly but she gave away nothing.   She just stood there with an edge to her which reminded him of the Mara Jade he first knew.  This was a woman it was better not to confront alone. "Why don't we get some dinner and you can give me an update on what's been going on? I have a new job you may be interested in.  How about 'The Regent'? They have a new chef."

Mara shrugged. "Why not."

To minimise the possibility of a scene, Karrde wanted to draw Mara away from the rest of the crew to a popular restaurant in Coruscant Entertainment District that he knew she liked. 'The Regent' cultivated an air of quiet charm reminiscent of the Old Republic. He hoped it would help to minimise the explosion he prayed wasn't coming. Had she found out? Mara hated deceit even if they had done it with her best interest at heart.

"I want to finish the repairs to the _Fire_ as soon as I possibly can and I have parts on the supply run arriving from the rim tonight."

Karrde could see her determination to finish the work on the _Fire_ but was she redirecting her frustration to the ship or in a hurry to leave? Perhaps both. "Well then, you have at least an hour or two." 

"Fine. But I'm not going home to change."

Karrde stared at her. She was dressed in a conservative, dark green jumpsuit and tunic. There was a smear of hyperdrive fluid just above her knee but he didn't think anyone else would notice. The clothes Karrde provided for his crews shrugged off most oils and grease with ease. Besides, he wanted to talk to her and if he made her go and change he would have an even more difficult task on his hands. "You don't need to change. We're dining early. Ball gowns and durindfire gems suit the later sitting."

Mara almost managed to crack a smile.

During their meal they had conversed on neutral subjects. Mara had been strangely subdued but every so often he glimpsed something hard and angry in her sharp green eyes. Finally they sat staring at one another over a pot of caf. "What is it, Mara?" Karrde asked, suddenly eager to get the whole thing over and done with. "Something's bothering you."

"Nothing's bothering me," Mara snapped, immediately on the defensive. "I should be asking that of you."

"Other than the crew of the _Wild Karrde_ came to me in a deputation last night begging me to do something or they'd all resign – you call that nothing?" He held his ground and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "I don't need a new crew. I like the people I have."

"I've not been that bad…have I?" Mara looked startled. She'd thought that she'd hidden her anger.

"Well…" Karrde drew out the word. "You've been very…short with everyone. I think most of the maintenance crew was heading over to hanger 52 and the _Errant Venture_ to apply." Then softening his gaze, he folded his hands, setting the employer role aside. "Look, seriously Mara, most of them know that you've been through a difficult time and they are trying to be understanding but enough is enough. You have to talk to someone."

"All I have been doing is talking – no one is talking back," Mara spat out. Her frustration levels were almost at saturation point. "Listen. You wanted me to talk to and play through this whole charade with Calrissian and look where it got me. The whole relationship was a mistake from the start. I talked to him and it's over."

"I thought we had already decided that it was over. It was all supposed to be a business deal, nothing more. I never meant for you to come to any harm, Mara. You've finished it once and for all?"

"Oh, it's finished," Mara declared with a dangerous gleam in her eye. "Even though he now thinks that he's in love with me."

Karrde was taken aback. That wasn't something he had expected. "He said that?"

"He did but I think I managed to change his mind." She glared at Karrde, her annoyance almost tangible. With difficulty she grabbed hold of her escalating temper and reined it in. Her boss would get it with both barrels of a metaphorical blaster when she was sure he was guilty and she was pretty sure. It was time to find out for certain. Titling her head to one side she stared hard at her boss. "Surprisingly, he was so overwhelmed with emotion he couldn't even bring himself to recount the heroics of my rescue."

Warning bells rang in Talon's head. What had Lando done?  "Oh. That's…"

"Unusual for Calrissian not to want to brag about his exploits?" Mara's eyes narrowed into green slits. "I've been perfectly pleasant to the crew."

"You think you have," he said quietly.

Mara's mouth tightened mutinously.

Karrde knew he was in trouble and tried a different vector. "Perhaps it was too soon for you to return to work. Take some time off…go and visit one of the vacation worlds or…" He hesitated. "Why notH go and see Skywalker?" He waited tensely, wondering how she would react. "He would be pleased to see you."

She shot him a look of suspicion. "That was Lando's suggestion, too. Everyone's rather keen that I talk to Skywalker for some reason."

"He's the Jedi Master…"

"He's one of the Jedi Masters," Mara corrected.

"Or you could go back to the Manarai and see one of the psych droids."

"Not even if Palpatine resurrects himself immediately in front of me out of that pot of caf am I going to do that. I would even rather date Calrissian," Mara ground out, the feeling of guilt rising up and forming a lump at the back of her throat. Had she been taking her frustrations out on the rest of the crew? "I have to keep working. I have to keep busy…"

"The memories?"

"No," she snapped. "The lack of them. I still can't remember anything constructive."

"Is that any reason to take it out on the _Wild Karrde's_ crew?" the smuggler chief gently remonstrated. "You've been through a lot and now I think you are trying too hard to make us believe that you are all right."

"I am alright," she maintained stoutly. "But I've had these flashes of memory and I can read the evidence.  People have been keeping things from me and I intend to find out what they are."

"Oh." Karrde smoothed his hand over his chin, his face non-committal. "Unwise of them."

"Yes it is." She leaned back in her chair; she was tiring of this game. "You were there – you can tell me the whole story." Her attempt at a reasonable smile failed – it was a mere baring of her perfect white teeth.

Karrde swallowed. She knew. "Mara…I still think perhaps the doc-droid…"

"No, Talon." Mara gave a sigh and some of the nervous, angry energy drained away, leaving her tired and anxious looking. "I'm sorry," she said. "I can't continue this way any longer. I'm asking all the questions and I'm tired of not getting any answers. I can feel things and I hear voices and nothing makes sense. All my life I have heard voices. It's my gift or my curse depending on your point of view." She lifted her green eyes and scrutinised Karrde's face carefully. "But now my mind is filled with a different voice telling me that I'll be safe. A voice from my memories, a _familiar _voice."

Karrde was taken aback. There was something almost calculating in her expression and he began to feel a little uneasy. How was she going to react? "Ah… Mara… You know most of what happened. You were attacked by a gang of thugs. You were beaten to unconsciousness and kept in a continuous drugged state. They nearly sold you… before… until we…we _found_ you. You might have been dreaming or hallucinating about other voices."

"That's what I want to remember – the rescue. You and Calrissian are saying very little about that. It's rather unusual for Calrissian to say so little about anything. I have this vision of you and Lando charging to my salvation on your white banthas. But it's not your voice that I hear."

Karrde began to sweat. _Stang! _Where _was_ Skywalker and his bright ideas when he needed them? Yes, she knew. He would have to come clean but if he did, he would have a Jedi Master after him too. Swiftly, he weighed up his options. Luke was a long way away and Mara was closer and far more volatile. "It's understandable," he croaked, grabbing his glass of water and swallowing a mouthful. "I'm surprised you can remember anything at all."

Mara's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You said you had a job for me?"

Surprised by the abrupt change of topic, Karrde wondered if this meal was ever going to end. She wouldn't be too happy about the job he had for her but the naked yearning on Skywalker's face made him want to do something for the man. Whether it would be his doom or his happiness Karrde wasn't sure. Luke had extracted a promise from him not to tell Mara. Karrde knew that was one of the stupidest ideas he'd ever agreed to. This way he would let Mara know what she craved and not break his promise to the Jedi. "I did say that and I _do_ have a job for you. I visited the Belgaroth system and..."

"Belgaroth…" Mara echoed. "Belgaroth!" The suspicion in her green gaze sharpened into shrewdness. "Yes, you did say you were heading that way, didn't you. Ossus and Adega are in the Belgaroth system," she stated. "What in the _Force_ were you doing out there?"

Karrde grimaced. She'd not left the earlier topic – she was trying to get at the information she wanted in a different way. He should remember never to underestimate her and usually he didn't. "I was acquiring a load of Ilum crystals for the Jedi Academy. Jedi Master Solusar ordered them some time ago. I said I would get them when I was close to the Belgaroth System."

"Ilum crystals – you mean Adegan crystals?"

"They're the same thing, aren't they?"

Mara stared at him hard and then gave a short crack of laughter but there was little amusement in the sound. "He's short of a crystal is he?"

Karrde was mystified. He hadn't a clue what she was on about. "I'm sorry?"

"Does the Jedi Master need something to make his lightsaber work?"

"I'm sorry, Mara. I don't quite understand. Jedi Master Solusar wants them for his students." Karrde knew that he was definitely missing something here but gamely tried to treat this as if it were a normal working lunch and conversation. "The order originally came some time ago from Jedi Master Solusar but if you'll deliver the crystals to Yavin IV perhaps you'll find out. Skywalker has…" His voice faded.

"_Skywalker!_" Mara's voice rose, verging on the hysterical. "I'm just coming to him," she spat, her gaze suddenly murderous.

"Oh." Karrde took another gulp of water. "I told you, Mara. The Jedi Academy ordered a set of lightsaber crystals to be delivered whenever I managed to obtain some. I was able to collect an assortment of the correct quality before I returned to Coruscant after we left Aaris III. The hyperspace routes are favourable between Czerip and Ossus."

"True," Mara agreed grudgingly. "But why is Solusar the one ordering crystals?"

"Solusar is now head of the Academy."

"He is?"

"Yes, I thought you knew. Skywalker gave up leadership of the school last year but is still head of the order. He's going out into the field again."

"I wondered why he was racketing around the galaxy." Mara said irritably. "Doesn't appear to be any happier about it."

"I thought he would have told you about that."

"Maybe he did amongst all his Jedi pontificating and I wasn't listening. I was avoiding him because he was with 'what's-her-name' and when she left all he had on his mind was the Academy and my Jedi training. When I _was_ ready to listen he started avoiding _me_ up until I landed in the medicentre."

"Interesting." Karrde pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I wonder why?" He leaned back in his chair, his hands raised in front of him touching fingertips. He had a very good idea why Skywalker had avoided Mara. She'd been with Lando. And Mara had avoided the Jedi Master because he'd been involved with Callista. He leaned forward in the awkward silence, once again hopefully nudging the subject back to safer territory. "I don't think I will ever forget the sight of these jewels as the dealer showed them to me. I'm sure I can remember every jewel I ever traded but these were different."

"Different?"

"They were almost…" Karrde's pale blue eyes took on a far away gleam. "They were almost alive."

"You remember every jewel?" Mara's voice had a strange note to it as she took a small cloth-wrapped package from her pocket and placed it on the table between them. "What about this one?" She carefully pushed aside the cloth and revealed a green, multifaceted stone. As her fingers touched the surface the stone glowed with an inner light and Mara let out a little gasp. Every time she touched the jewel something touched her mind - a picture or a voice or an emotion. Karrde was right – the stone acted as if it contained life within.

"That's beautiful," Karrde murmured. "It's not unlike them although I would say that this one has more…heart. Where did you get it?"

"You should know," Mara murmured, her gaze fixed on the jewel.

"I should?" Karrde questioned, the awkward lump back in his throat. He didn't have the Force but his instinct had guided him well through the many years he'd been smuggling and trading for his livelihood. His instinct was telling him that he could be in a tight spot with Mara. They should have told her everything. It was stupid of them to keep things from her.

Mara's eyes snapped open wide and fixed on Karrde with intensity. "Yes – you should. You remember every jewel you traded with or so you said."

"I'm not sure I recall that one although I feel that I should."

"I think you should. After all, you paid for my freedom with it. You bought me. _Bought _me, Karrde! I was sold like a…a…_thing_! I'm your property! Can you imagine how that makes me feel?"

"Kessel!" Karrde swore. "I can't remember every gemstone," he hastily tried to retract his earlier statement. He hadn't, though he should have, thought about what Skywalker had done to secure Mara's freedom. But now he knew. Still, Mara couldn't know that this was from Skywalker's lightsaber. She didn't know he'd been anywhere near the Elrood Sector. "I would never buy a slave, Mara. Although, if it had been the only way that I could have secured your freedom, I would have resorted to it if necessary."

"No!" Her face was pained, her voice desolate. "I'm not a thing to be bought or sold. I'm free. I've earned the right to my freedom. I'm an individual. I don't hear the Emperor's voice in my head any more. I belong to myself." It was a quiet cry from the heart.

"Of course you're free, Mara!" He didn't know how much more of his friend's despair he could take.

Mara's fingers traced the glittering gem once more. "This one is particularly fine, is it not? This is an Adegan emerald of a rare quality and this was the price you paid for my freedom. This is no ordinary jewel." She held it up to study its lustre and its light only seemed to emphasise the brilliance of her own green eyes. "Only a stone such as this could be the heart of a Jedi Master's weapon. Strange only that Skywalker would part with it."

There was a sudden deathly silence at the table.

"Mara…I didn't want…Skywalker didn't want…" Karrde spread out his hands helplessly. Skywalker had taken apart his own saber to save Mara! "I didn't know," he whispered. "I wasn't there when he did it. He bought you to save your life. That's what I think he did. He won't talk about it."

"What?"

"Skywalker and Solo went for you. I met them on Czerip after they had found you and transported you back to Coruscant in a stasis chamber. It was Skywalker and Solo who saved your life. Skywalker made me promise not to tell you."

"Why?"

Karrde sensed that Mara wasn't asking why Luke had saved her life but why he hadn't told her. He shrugged. "Why didn't Luke want you to know? I'm not exactly sure." Luke had never said how he felt about Mara and Karrde wasn't even certain that the Jedi Master had even guessed himself. "He's very deep and I don't think anyone knows his true motives for doing something. I think Luke was appalled at the treatment meted out to you. He didn't want you to suffer any more over this and he wondered if you would want him to see you so vulnerable…"

Mara swallowed, her face paling. Luke knew her so well. She hated people seeing her helpless but somehow he didn't count. Over the years he'd seen her at her best and at her worst. This time the voice she heard in her head matched the face she saw in her dreams. Luke had kept her safe.

"And Mara…" Karrde pulled some credits from his wallet as he got slowly to his feet. "He cares for you and said you would do the same for him." He carefully placed the credits on the table in payment of their meal.

"Oh," Mara whispered. "Of course I would."

"It's up to Luke to tell you exactly what happened. If you don't want to deliver the crystals to Yavin, I'll get someone else to do it but I think he'll be glad to see you. He's missing an integral part of the weapon of a Jedi - if that _is_ his lightsaber crystal."

"It is." A small smile crossed her lips. Mara's hand moved to the lightsaber attached to her waist. Luke had given it to her. For the thousandth time she wondered why he had done that. She watched as Karrde walked slowly across the restaurant, then her gaze shifted to the crystal lying in front of her. Her hand hovered over it and, as her fingers lightly touched its polished surface, a streak of fire flashed in its depths.

****

**Yavin IV**

Luke tried to find a comfortable spot on his sleeping pallet. It was too hot. He pushed the thin, covering sheet from his naked body and stood up. He could feel the life essence of Yavin pulsing through the Force. But something…or some_one_ else was disturbing him.

Mara Jade.

They were connected in a way few, even among the Jedi, could understand. References to emotional bonds were sketchy and few. When she was emotionally distraught or in times of great crisis he could vaguely sense her thoughts – even across the galaxy, far away from her current location. He assumed she was still on Coruscant. But the connection between them was growing stronger and he could no longer hide it from her. He was going to have to tell her something feasible and soon.

They would both have to work on their shielding. There was no denying that. But Luke wondered why he and Mara Jade had developed an emotional Force bond. They were good friends, they worked well together and he trusted her as he trusted no other. He loved her… Luke dropped his head into his hands. He loved her. That could explain the bond from his perspective but Mara's relationship was with Calrissian. Why had it happened from hers? He lifted his head, his eyes glittering in the darkness. In the old days the Jedi had not been encouraged to love and Luke considered that to be one of the reasons they had fallen. Love caused heartache and despair but Luke never regretted being able to love.

As he stared out into the Yavin jungle he could almost see her standing before him. He could feel the darkness building inside her soul. This was what had awakened him. He could hear her clear voice rise. "I was _sold_? Someone _bought _me?" A wave of her fury washed over him. "No, Mara, no!" he spoke urgently into the night. "Anger is of the dark side."

_"Shut up,"_ she snarled.

Luke clenched his fists. Did she think he was the voice of her conscience or his actual voice speaking to her from a far away system? Was he really hearing her voice – sensing her emotions? He sank back onto his pallet and buried his head in his hands. He could certainly predict trouble in store. With a sigh, he stood up again and reached for his clothes. He needed to meditate. He wasn't going to get any more sleep this night.

Luke moved silently from his quarters and headed out of the temple and into the sultry darkness of the jungle night. Creatures called to one another in the shadows and moved, rustling amongst the undergrowth. The occupants of the temple were unaware of his restlessness and slept on, undisturbed by shadowy visions and angry voices.

She was still angry. He could feel the hate swelling once more. Was this a dream, a vision or an actual happening? Luke couldn't be sure. Mara stood alone, her saber raised ready to strike her opponent down. Even from this distance her hate stabbed at him. No, he thought desperately. This couldn't be happening. Could she not see how close to the edge she could fall? He shouldn't have run away to Yavin, he should have been with her.

"No, Mara! Not in cold blood. Release your anger," Luke begged.

_"Luke?"_

Her confused voice ricocheted around his head as he sensed the danger passing and her anger dying away.

_"Luke?"_

With a muffled oath, Luke strengthened his shields as she reached out to touch his mind. She had to come to Yavin soon. He wanted to see her and yet, he knew there was the possibility that he might give himself away. But Mara needed some more training if this situation was going to continue between them. They needed to learn to build better shields between them and she needed more skill in controlling her anger. They both needed to ensure that the other had privacy.

Meditation was difficult to achieve after that and once again, Luke saw the dawn rise, his eyes red and tired from lack of sleep.

"Master Skywalker," the students chorused respectfully as he passed them on his way back to his quarters. He smiled politely and bowed his head but kept walking until his feet trod the well-worn flagstones that led him to his destination. With a quick flick of his wrist the door slid open quickly and the peace of his own small space surrounded him.

He paused, his hands fumbling for the training saber he had attached to his belt before laying it on a chair. His eyes moved to where all the ingredients he needed to remake his lightsaber lay assembled on the workbench. It was a task he'd been postponing for reasons he couldn't fathom but he knew that he couldn't put it off any longer. He was a Jedi Master now. Constructing a lightsaber was not the near-impossible feat he'd had to struggle to achieve long ago in Obi-Wan's desert hut on Tatooine.

He had all the component parts. All he needed was to construct a new lightsaber crystal. He knew that Kam Solusar, the Master now in charge of the general running of the Jedi Academy, had ordered some Adegan crystals some time ago but as yet they hadn't arrived. Luke knew that he couldn't make do with a training saber any longer. It was only a matter of time before the New Republic called on his services once more. He could wait for the shipment to arrive but something in Luke wanted to do it the hard way. At present, he had the time and the skill. Luke gave a small tired chuckle. He still hadn't told anyone about the loss of his crystal. He wasn't sure that they would even understand. Perhaps they would think that the Jedi Master was reckless, rendering himself unable to fight.

Luke could almost hear Yoda's cackle. _'A Jedi is never defenceless when he has the Force as his ally.'_ If he wanted to use his crystal to buy a slave girl, he would. His mouth quirked into a small smile. And what a slave girl. She was magnificent. He gave the components a longing look but first he was going to have a shower and then try to get some sleep.

A few hours later Luke opened his eyes, swung his feet to the floor and reached out his hand for the loose robe lying on the chair next to his bed. Pulling it over his head, he stretched and then got wearily to his feet and walked to an old, intricately carved trunk made of boa-wood. This was one of the oldest and most beautiful things he had ever owned. Obi-Wan had left it for him to find in his house on Tatooine. Luke did not have many possessions and those he did have were treasures in his own mind. He didn't value them for what they were worth in a monetary sense. A life constantly on the move didn't leave much time or inclination for material acquisitions. Inside were many things a Jedi would find interesting but Luke knew exactly what he was looking for. He reached inside and picked up a book, his hands caressing the smoothness of the worn leather binding. His thumb fitted over the clasp that accepted _his_ thumb print and no other.

He glanced briefly at the contents. This book held many useful facts but the most important was on lightsaber construction. He didn't need to consult the book. He could recite each stage by heart but there was something comforting about the rustle of the soft paper, the smell of the leather binding and the sensation of the pages beneath his fingertips.

He had done most of the work. He had the casing for his lightsaber – he was happy with the original. The only thing that was missing was the focusing crystal. The first time he had constructed a lightsaber it had taken him over a month to fire and cut the gem. He could do it in far less time these days but he didn't have to rush the delicate task. He still loved to work with his hands and this was an opportunity to do just that.

Tionne Solusar leaned her head against her husband's shoulder as they returned to their quarters. It had been a long day but a satisfying one, she thought. Many of the students had continued to progress in the ways of the Force. Her delicate nose twitched as they reached the passage leading to their suite of rooms. "I can smell burning," she declared as she straightened her silvery head.

Kam sniffed a couple of times. "I don't smell anything," he muttered. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Tionne was definite.

"Get the maintenance droid to check out the systems."

"I did," Tionne said clearly. "…yesterday."

"And did it find anything?"

"No," she admitted reluctantly.

"Well then," her husband concluded. "Get the med droid to examine your nasal cavities."

"That is not helpful. I have a keen sense of smell and I smell burning."

Kam knew he had said the wrong thing as soon as the words had left his mouth. So much for Jedi diplomacy. "No one else is housed in this part of the temple apart from us and Luke. Maybe he's cooking in his quarters. He does have a small galley kitchen in his rooms. He doesn't always eat with the students."

"No, not if he's working."

"Which he usually is."

"He has dedicated his life to the Jedi and the Force." Her tone was admiring.

Kam sighed. "Yes, but he should occasionally ease up a little. I thought when I became a Jedi Master and we took over the running of the Academy, Luke would have less of a burden to carry."

"But he's the head of the order," Tionne protested. "He assumes this burden willingly. As do we all."

"Yes, but if he makes himself ill through overwork…?"

"I suppose." Tionne didn't sound convinced.

"He's been looking better recently. I was worried about him when he first returned to Yavin but he appears to be more relaxed. It's only a matter of time before he heads off on some diplomatic mission again."

"I agree. We need to have more students ready to help him in this task."

Kam ran a gentle finger across his wife's cheek. "And we will, my love."

"I will just check…"

"No, just leave him tonight…Ah, too late."

Tionne's pale eyes glowed in the dim lighting of the corridor as she tapped on the Jedi Master's door.

The door slid open and a bare-chested Luke stood rubbing a towel over his damp hair. "Kam…Tionne." His face brightened.

"Tionne thinks that she can smell burning in this section of the living quarters," Kam explained.

"Burning?" Luke stepped into the hall and sniffed the air like a womprat hunting for prey. "Can't smell anything," he mumbled. "What kind of burning? Have you told the maintenance droid to check the systems?"

Kam grinned. "That's what I said."

"And I had," Tionne finished. "It didn't find anything."

Luke grinned. "Good," he murmured absent-mindedly and disappeared back into his quarters leaving the Solusars standing outside his door. 

As soon as the door slid closed, the deliberate vagueness Luke had assumed disappeared from his features. He moved to the small furnace he'd set up and checked the red operating diode. It was almost hot enough to melt denscris or collapse durasteel into a liquid ball. It was ready.

The best lightsabers used natural focusing jewels but Luke had been content with the emerald green gem he'd made all those years ago on Tatooine. Another one just like it would be fine. He wondered if the shipment of Adegan crystals Kam had ordered had arrived. He supposed he could ask but then how to explain the loss of his own crystal. Would he have to explain? He was head of the Jedi Order. No, Luke decided. It was better he began constructing his replacement now.

**Coruscant – ****Westport******

The docking bay was busy with supplies being loaded into the _Jade's Fire. _Mara stood tapping her foot as some of her comrades manoeuvred a series of large crates into the main hold.

"Mara!"

She turned at the sound of Karrde's voice and watched as he walked towards her. "Karrde," she acknowledged.

"You're getting ready to haul jets," he stated evenly.

"In two hours," Mara confirmed with a thin-lipped smile.

"You're mad at me for…"

"Of course I'm angry." Her voice began to rise, her hands clenched tight. "In fact, I'm furious. I'm grateful for your part in my rescue but why couldn't you have told me? I can handle the truth. They didn't…you know…and I'm here and alive."

"We thought it was for the best. I am sorry, Mara."

"_We_ thought it was for the best." She began to pace, her strides quick. "_Skywalker_ thought it was for the best. Skywalker could have told me – why didn't he?"

"He could have but he chose not to. He knew you were in trouble and set out to find you. Solo went with him."

"Ah! His sister doesn't trust him out alone," she said snidely.

"Leia was worried about him. He'd just landed days earlier from a very taxing mission. He wasn't in any fit shape to go trekking across the galaxy for you but he said that he had to go, that no one else could find you in time and he was right."

Mara thought about Luke's constantly tired face and shadowed blue eyes. "He has been rushing around the galaxy lately," she said, her angry voice softening to one of concern. "What is he trying to avoid?"

Karrde shrugged. Not what, who. He didn't want voice the opinion that the Jedi Master's main source of inner turmoil was the red-headed woman opposite.

'I can remember calling for him,' Mara thought, turning away from Karrde's penetrating gaze. 'But surely he…' "You asked him to help," Mara concluded.

"I did but he already knew. He was about to come to me," Karrde admitted.

Another thought pushed its way to the forefront of her mind. Palpatine had used her ability to communicate over vast distances. Since his demise she had thought that this skill had died with him. Suppose it hadn't and the sith-spawned bastard currently sleeping on Yavin IV knew it.

Wait a minute….she knew that he was sleeping? She reached out across the galaxy, her eyes grew cloudy and she could hear the even breathing of the resting Jedi.

"Mara?" Karrde's curious voice interrupted her reverie.

"I'm going to kill him when I get my hands on him." The words emerged with all the ferocity of a proton torpedo. "I don't need…" She stopped. She'd been going to add 'another Palpatine' but that wasn't what Luke was about. He didn't want to control her with power. Why was she so angry? Did he know that they were linked together through the Force like this?

Karrde didn't even ask. Skywalker was the only one who could rouse Mara to such strong emotions. But the smuggler was at a loss to know what else the Jedi had done apart from rescuing her and saving her life. Surely she couldn't be angry about that.

"Hand over that jewel shipment," Mara barked. "Forget the trip to the Corporate Sector. I'm going to Yavin. Now. In the next free departure slot."

Karrde nodded. "Sure."

"Oh, and I'm taking leave of absence, effective immediately."

Karrde raised an eyebrow. "Of course, Mara," he said mildly. "The crystal shipment is already on board the _Fire_. Those supplies being loaded are the regular supplies for Yavin IV, not the Corporate Sector. I thought you might want to take that job instead. Aves and the _Starry Ice_ can go to the Corporate Sector."

"What?"

Karrde placed a hand on Mara's shoulder. "I saw him before he left," he said quietly. "He was tired and very worried about you. But nothing and no-one was going to stop him from setting out after you."

"Not even you?"

"Of course not. I had business in the area, so I followed him. I would have searched for you if Skywalker hadn't volunteered. He guessed you were in trouble long before I called him for his aid. Yes, Mara, I did call him but he was already forewarned. This Force of yours is a powerful tool. I could never have found you in time. Sure, I could have found where you'd last been seen but that wouldn't have been enough. Skywalker and Solo left in the _Falcon _and as soon as they had found you I headed for Czerip. Without them you would not be standing here today."

"I know," she groused. "But I'm still going to kill him."

"Don't be too hard on him, Jade. Take all the time you need and, for what its worth, I am sorry."

Mara glowered. "Don't you dare tell Skywalker I'm on my way."

"I wouldn't dream of doing that. But won't he sense your approach?"

"Not if I can help it. I've been working on my shielding."

__


	21. Part 21

**The Emerald Price Chapter 21**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

****

**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you? My thanks also to Niqella and Rhea.

**_The Jade's Fire – _****Somewhere in Hyperspace**

The sound of a lightsaber buzzed as the slim woman dressed in clinging, grey exercise gear wielded the ancient weapon of the Jedi through a series of graceful cadences. The lightsaber was more than just a weapon – it was a disciplined workout of both mind and body. With a final twisting somersault, Mara landed lightly on her bare feet and extinguished her bright blue blade. She pushed an escaping, wayward curl back into the clip designed to keep it confined and grinned with satisfaction.

She was regaining her skill and strength with the blade once more.

Breathing heavily and flushed with perspiration, Mara moved her exercise mat from the main cargo hold into the secondary, smaller one and began to wind down her training session. With a fluid flick of her wrist, hidden speakers began to play a relaxed melody from the shores of a distant world. She wasn't back to what she had been before her abduction but she was getting close. Mara did not want to arrive on a planet overrun with supremely fit Jedi and thought to be found wanting. They did not know what had happened to her – hell, even she wasn't exactly one hundred percent certain. Her mood darkened. But 'he' did and the fool hadn't told her anything about what she had suffered. Arrogant bastard - he would possibly live to regret that oversight.

Stretching in time to the soft music, Mara let her mind drift. It was the closest she ever came to meditation but perhaps this was the time and the way to start. Her determination to achieve the status of Jedi Knight had taken hold of her with such fervour. Was she doing this to repay Luke for saving her life? If so, he would not want such a gift and she knew it. Was she doing it because the slavers had captured her with such ease? But 'ease' wasn't the correct word. Her capture hadn't been easy. She'd fought for her freedom like a wild thing. Perhaps there was an element of the truth that she felt indebted to the Jedi Master. She preferred to owe no one. Mara shook her head. No, she was doing this for herself and because it was the will of the Force.

Mara frowned and arched her back feeling her backbone lengthen_. The will of the Force? _ Had she any idea what that really was? The Force ran strong in her. She could feel its potent lure. She had always told herself that she wouldn't go to Yavin until she was ready for a total commitment to the Jedi.

Luke would not accept anything less from her than total commitment and he was right. Perhaps if she'd had taken the time to hone her skills, achieving a greater mastery of the Force, she could have avoided falling into the trap on Aaris III. But as the Jedi was so fond of quoting, 'the future is always in motion'.

Simply, for Mara, it was time to move on. Karrde's employ held little challenge and no joy for her these days. It wasn't enough. She had outgrown the organisation. Her true calling was waiting for her.

However, Mara wasn't wholly convinced that Yavin IV was the place for her either. She couldn't see herself fitting in with the rest of the dark robed idealists but Luke was on Yavin and she trusted him to train her. He was the _only_ one she trusted to train her.

Luke had bought her from the slavers using the crystal from his _own_ lightsaber rendering himself vulnerable in the face of potential trouble arising. That was a tremendous sacrifice that he'd made for her. She didn't want to dwell on the implications of such an act.

_'Bought…sold…like a thing.'_

The words whirled through her brain again and again. _'Bought…sold…like a thing.'_

She sank down onto the mat, her legs splayed out in front of her and stretched her torso to the floor, feeling her tired muscles protest as she did so. The little voice in her head began to defend the Jedi Master. _'He did it for you – to save your life.'_ "I know that," she responded aloud. She'd been very ill when Luke had found her – very ill indeed. If she had been sold it was doubtful that she would have survived. She would not have been able to escape death this time. Another little voice whispered insidiously, _'Now you are in his debt. What will he demand from you? There is always a price. What will be his?'_

Luke wouldn't see it the way she did. He was rescuing the damsel in distress in his customary protective fashion. No one was allowed to threaten those he cared for and he would go to any lengths to keep them safe. Mara felt honoured and strangely humbled to be included in Luke's close circle of friends. However, that didn't change the fact that before this incident, she had been independent and free. Strange how the simple exchange of a gem seemed to threaten all of that.

Was she looking at this all wrong?  Had he merely saved her life so that she could make a choice?

Luke had heard Mara's call and had travelled to the furthest reaches of the galaxy to rescue her, dropping the threads of his life without a second thought. Knowing that he was there with her while she was in her delirium made many threads connect. She could hear his voice telling her that she would be safe. She could almost feel his arms surrounding her, his breath warm on the back of her neck as he curved himself protectively into her. He had come for her and kept her safe without any hope of a reward or even a simple thank you. How had Luke Skywalker – a man famous throughout the entire galaxy – been able to just walk into a slaving compound and buy her?

The man wasn't real.

Why had he done it?

An image of Luke's face came into her mind, his eyes cold, almost silver and not the vibrant blue she loved. She shivered and tried to conjure up a different picture. This time, the expression on his face was the one after their lips had met, just for a moment, in one short, sweet, accidental kiss and her senses had gone haywire. His eyes had changed, turbulence colouring them further, his expression shocked. He'd been as affected by it as she had been – strange, when it was only a kiss. _Only. _Her mind remembered the brief softening of his lips upon hers and the flame that had sparked between them. The kiss had been more than an impersonal farewell salute.

'_He cares for you, Mara.'_ She remembered Karrde's words at the spaceport. Of course Luke cared for her. She cared for him too…as a friend. Luke felt exactly the same. They were true friends and she could not bestow such an honour on anyone else.

"He wants you for the Jedi," she whispered but somewhere deep in her mind another voice made itself heard. 'No, Mara. Luke wants you for himself.'

Her heart almost stopped. "Luke wants me!" she gasped aloud and then immediately strove to deny it. "No, he's the Jedi Master. He has no place for love in his life…neither do I. I don't love him…I don't feel that way about him…do I?"

Her own words echoed tauntingly inside her head. _'Love is a valuable commodity, but I have no use for it. Yes, I said that but I never said I didn't believe in it.'_ She winced. She sounded so arrogant - so certain that she was right.

_'I know that for me to pursue a relationship with anyone, I would have to love him.'_

Was it the same for Luke or was he pursuing the Jedi ideal of dedicating his entire life to the Force at the expense of having a personal life of his own? But he had also taught her that the way of the force was not a solitary one.

She grimaced. Perhaps she did need to undertake a session with a psych droid if she was thinking about Skywalker as more than a friend. She'd just gotten rid of Calrissian. It was time to concentrate on what she wanted.

_'You want Skywalker_,' the little voice whispered.

"No!" Mara shouted.

Mara closed her eyes. Force! What was she doing? She could call him from anywhere in the galaxy and he would hear her voice. Luke was as powerful as Palpatine had been but he didn't wield that ability. He didn't want or need such power. Luke was aware of this connection; Mara guessed this to be true. His reluctance to be with her, his raised shields the last time they had been together all pointed to this conclusion.

He should have told her - again her anger began to bubble to the surface. Why hadn't he told her? What good would it have done if he had? Her anger died down. She had not been ready to hear such things from him and she would have reacted the way she had almost reacted just now – with suspicion and anger.

Anger was too close to the dark side. These were lessons she had to learn and accept before she reached Yavin and it had almost been too late.

Carefully opening herself to the Force, Mara stretched beyond the confines of her ship, searching for Luke's bright light. Suddenly across the millions of miles of space, he was there. His presence was warm and welcoming and she realised that she had missed it so much.

Missed_ him_.

**Yavin IV**

On Yavin IV, immersed in a class on the Old Republic history, Luke felt a faraway presence touch his mind, wrapping tendrils of warmth around his signature like a plant dying for moisture. His words dried up and his eyes closed. This…had to be one of the most wonderful feelings in the cosmos. Mara's presence reached out to him, encompassing him in warmth.  He had no idea if this act was consciously done or if somehow she reached him through the Force in an unconscious gesture of trust. Either way, the sensation was incredible. For a moment, he revelled in the connection.****

"Is everything all right, Master Skywalker?" one of the initiates asked in concern as the Master sat motionless, the sentence on his lips left incomplete.

Luke smiled and opened his eyes, the elation evident in his gaze eliciting a gasp from the assembled company. His eyes had, for an instant, changed from blue to green. "Yes…fine…" he mumbled. "Class dismissed."

"But Master Skywalker, we still have another hour of this class to go!"

"You know where the library is?" Luke asked, his eyes twinkling. "I'll finish this tomorrow. The Force has just given me some questions to ponder. Look on it as a reprieve from me boring you further with the history of the politics of the Jedi during the Old Republic."

"But you never bore us, Master. You make the most mundane subjects seem…"

Luke raised an eyebrow and then grinned. "Okay, okay," he said, laughter colouring his voice. "You've convinced me."

"I have?" The student appeared uncertain and then bowed his head deferentially. "Of course, Master."

Luke waved the anxious student away. "I had finished what I wanted to say. You need to go and meditate on the lesson."

"Of course, Master Skywalker."__

_'Farmboy.'_

_'Jade.'_ Luke was startled. The connection was faint but it was definitely her voice.

_'You're in trouble.'_

_'Trouble…me?'_ he asked innocently. He felt like laughing; he was so happy to feel her with him.

_'Yes, you.'_

He felt a shower of liquid warmth run through him. She was smiling; he could feel it. _'I know - so what's new?'_ Luke felt the connection slip away like an unravelled thread. Usually points of contact were made when either of them were emotionally charged. Anger…despair. She had not yet learned to control the Force when she felt more extreme emotions. This was the first time she'd been able to reach out when she was calm and peaceful. One day she would come to him.  He could feel it.

He had to prepare to take a new student and this one would test the limits of his Jedi calm. His chin lifted. He had to be ready for Mara Jade.

He had no idea when she would arrive. It could be tomorrow, next week or even next year but whenever she arrived he had to be ready. He couldn't afford to make any mistakes with this prospective Jedi Knight. His stomach grumbled reminding him of more immediate concerns.  Right now, though, he was hungry.

Luke made his way to the refectory, now housed in one of the larger halls in the Jedi temple. With a warm smile for the many different species, all studying and training to be Jedi Knights, he chose his meal and retreated to one of the staff tables at the back of the room. With an air of distraction, he shovelled his food into his mouth, all the while wondering where Mara was and was she well and happy. He longed to see her but would not press her to come.

Soon she would come to the Jedi to be trained to knighthood. The pull was getting stronger. One day she would not be able to resist the lure. It was inevitable. Luke knew this to be so but she would have to come of her own accord - when she was ready.  He hoped that would be soon. Perhaps he could call her – convince her to train - but it had to be her decision. Patience was a trait he had learned, but not yet mastered. It would have to suffice for now.

"The Master is looking much better this evening," Kirana Ti commented as she slid deftly into her chair beside Tionne Solusar.

"Yes, more rested." Tionne fixed her pale eyes on Luke.

"Councillor Organa Solo was quite concerned about him. He has been through several difficult missions in a short space of time and she wouldn't talk about his most recent outing," Kirana commented quietly.

"It must have been something top-secret for the New Republic." Tionne stabbed a green vegetable with her fork.

"The Councillor did not say," said Kam quietly.

"It's always difficult to wind down after a difficult mission. The adrenaline rush takes its toll," said Tionne. "Did he make it through unscathed? He rarely talks about these things unless it concerns the Jedi directly."

Kam glanced over towards the Jedi Master and lowered his voice. "Councillor Organa Solo did not say although she intimated it was a difficult time for her brother and he did end up in the medicentre…"

"What, again?" Corran Horn slid into the seat next to Kam in time to hear his words and grinned cheekily at Kirana Ti and Tionne.

Kam glared at the Corellian pilot. "I was saying, Jedi Horn, that Master Skywalker did end up in the medicentre but it was merely owing to a mild viral infection."

"Who said it was mild?" queried Corran.

"Why, the Master…"

"Luke!" Corran laughed. "Don't believe anything he says. Trust me, it wasn't minor."

Kam grinned. "Why should I trust a Corellian and not the head of the Jedi Order?"

Corran chuckled. "Good point. Still, think about it. Luke doesn't like medical centres. The Manarai is one of the best but he would still rather not be in there. He would play down any illness or injury. It's not his way to draw attention to himself. It has to be serious to make him go and stay."

Kam was prepared to debate the issue. "The Master said he was only in there for a couple of days. He was brought in for observation and was quickly given the all clear."

"Try a week at least," Corran said. "He was there for at least that long according to Solo. He's looking much better than the last time I saw him."

Kirana Ti gave a furtive glance around her and leaned forward. "Did you hear what happened this afternoon?"

Kam shook his head. "No. Nothing serious, I hope?"

The Dathomerian witch shook her head. "No, nothing serious. According to Ix Io…"

"The Nazzar?" asked Corran.

"Yes, the first one we have had in the Jedi," Kirana Ti said. "They don't usually like to be away from their home world and he will not be welcome there in the future. The Force had too strong a pull on him. He was in the Master's class this afternoon when a strange thing happened."

"What?" asked Tionne, her voice hushed. She looked over her shoulder to see Luke sitting at the next table chatting to the older Jedi, Streen.

The rest of the teachers leaned their heads in closer towards Kirana Ti.

"The Master was in the middle of his discourse when he suddenly stopped speaking. He closed his eyes and just sat motionless."

"A vision?" asked Tionne eagerly.

"The Force speaking to him?" wondered Kam.

"When he opened his eyes they had changed colour from blue to green."

"Changed colour? I did not notice. I spoke to him earlier this evening," Tionne said.

"It only happened for a moment. Ix Io said that the Master's eyes immediately reverted back to blue."

"Could he have been mistaken?"

"Ix Io is not the kind of Jedi student who exaggerates the facts and the change was most marked," Kirana Ti replied loftily.

Tionne turned her head to where Luke was sitting, her pale eyes widening as she saw he was no longer there but approaching their table. "Ssh!" she hissed.

"Hey, Luke!" Corran raised his voice and hailed the Jedi Master.

Luke had finished his meal and had come close to the group of teachers as he headed to dump his tray. "I didn't know you had arrived, Corran." He grinned widely at the Corellian pilot.

"Just a fly past. I'm meeting Mirax in the next system in two days' time and then Wedge has new orders for me." Corran sighed. "I fly out first thing tomorrow morning."

Luke's face fell. "Oh! So you won't be around for long." Like Mara, Corran Horn treated Luke as a friend. After an uneasy beginning the two men had found they were similar in tastes and enthusiasms.

Corran made a face. "Sorry, next time, maybe. I'm hoping that Wedge will free me for a few months."

"I'll look forward to it. Kam could maybe schedule you to run a few classes."

"Not telekinesis, please." Corran turned a pleading face on Kam.

"I think we can safely say it won't be that. Perhaps you could join those classes instead?" Kam said with a wicked smile.

"Not fair," Corran pouted and then sighed. "But true."

"If I don't see you before tomorrow, clear skies, Corran." Luke smiled and wandered off, clutching his tray of empty dishes.

Corran followed the figure in black. "It's hard to know what he's thinking but he seems well. I hope that's the true state of affairs."

Kam's grey gaze followed Luke as he vanished from their sight. "He's getting there."

Luke's suite of rooms, situated in one of the temple buildings, were surprisingly roomy. A galley kitchen, a study with a work area, a couple of bedrooms and a lounge were all that he needed. Leia had helped him decorate his living space in a style of his choosing and the results were stylish, yet functional. It was the nearest thing he had to a home and Leia had recognised that fact. While her brother had his base on Yavin she wanted him to be comfortable. Sometimes she suspected that he didn't notice what the colours of the walls and furniture were or if the cushions she'd sent were even unpacked. Tionne had wanted Luke to move into the largest of the living quarters but he had refused, offering them instead to her and Kam when they had married. That Kam was also running the Academy had been another important factor in his view.

Luke, dressed in a loose blue sleeping robe, leaned over his workbench and frowned. He just had to make a small adjustment and…"Yes." He gave a delicate tap at the jewel held in the clamp and a sliver of the dark green crystal fell to the worktop. "Nearly there…" he muttered and adjusted the angle until he was presented with the other side of the jewel. "One wrong move, Skywalker and you'll have to start from scratch." He carefully sheared off another shard and watched as the jewel began to take shape. The best lightsabers had three focusing jewels for a fully adjustable blade. He'd made his first saber alone, mourning the loss of so many things – his friends, his hand and his family - and lacking the life experience he had now. All these years he had managed just fine with one crystal at the heart of his saber. Strange that it turned out to be the colour of the eyes of the woman he loved.

His useless lightsaber casing lay on the workbench, wires trailing from its end ready to receive the crystal once Luke was satisfied that he had cut the correct amount of facets; his hands deftly finished shaping the jewel with the assurance of a Jedi Master. Sinking easily into the Force that was so much a part of him, he picked up his lightsaber and tuned the superconductor. The amplitude was correct and the circuit boards had worked fine the last time the casing had housed a crystal.

He flicked on the activation switch and breathed easier as the blade extended outwards. The colour of the blade was slightly darker than that of his last saber but it felt good. Luke wondered if the darker colour perhaps mirrored his presence in the Force. He was no longer the innocent farmboy he'd once been. He would never turn to the dark side again but it had left its shaded imprint upon him.

There was a sudden crackle and the saber shorted out.

Luke stood staring at the non-existent blade. "Damn!" What had gone wrong this time?

He tried again and the exact same thing happened. With a deep heartfelt sigh, Luke opened the casing and checked the jewel once more. Perhaps he could trim a tiny piece off the crystal. He'd felt so good about it. This wasn't the first or even the second saber he'd constructed. "It could have been worse," he told himself. "You could have flash-flamed yourself into a black crisp."

Luke checked his wrist chrono. It was late and he had classes the following morning but he wanted to fix this problem with his lightsaber. A Jedi Master without a lightsaber was inconceivable.

The com on his desk began to chime. "Yes," he muttered irritably. Who could want him at this hour of the night?

"Master Skywalker," the Jedi manning the com centre late shift said nervously.

"Yes, Groet." Luke put aside his impatience

"A ship has just entered the atmosphere."

"A ship? We're not expecting any transports, are we?"

"Not to my knowledge, Master. It is heading for this location."

"You don't know their identity," Luke barked as he pulled off his sleeping attire and shrugged himself into his Jedi tunic.

"No, sir. That's why I contacted you. I have no idea. The ship is running with complete com silence but the scanners tell me that it has quite a weapons arsenal."

"What do you feel?" Luke asked quietly, once more the teacher. "Forget the scanners. They, like our eyes, can be deceived. I'm on my way to the landing site but use this as an opportunity to test your skills. Can you sense danger? Stretch out with the Force."

He felt the young Jedi initiate's mind calm. Groet pushed through the layers of the Force. "I don't sense any ill-will."

"Neither do I," Luke murmured, reaching out to find the identity of the unexpected visitor and was surprised to find that he couldn't read him or her - someone with training, able to block his probe. "Alert Master Solusar and Jedi Horn as a precaution. It pays to be cautious. I don't think the Academy is under threat. It is only one ship."

"Have you any idea, Master Skywalker?" Groet sounded a little more confident, his voice stronger.

"I have my suspicions." Luke's heart quickened as he finished getting dressed. Could it be Mara already? He hadn't sensed her but then, she was probably shielding. He would let her be for the moment.

Luke fastened his cloak and slapped at his door chime, his booted feet echoing on the flagstones as he walked swiftly from the living quarters and out into the Yavin night heading for the landing site. The sound of a finely tuned engine roared above him and through the trees Luke caught a glimpse of a starship he knew very well indeed. His heart began to pound loudly inside his chest.

She had come. Forget the Death Star, forget the Emperor. This was going to be his greatest challenge yet. He would finally be able to train her to full knighthood. He knew that was why she was here. What other reason could there be? Still, there were problems ahead. Could he help her attain that goal Luke knew should be hers by right? Could he be her mentor and guide, her friend, her strongest critic and disciplinarian? Could he do it and keep Mara from finding out how he really felt about her?

He could try… Luke gave a soft chuckle. No – he would _do._

The _Jade's Fire_ touched down in a near perfect landing. Taking her time, Mara shut down the ship's functions and gathered her gear together. As she stuffed a few last-minute items into her carryall, she caught her reflection in the mirror. She looked businesslike and ready to deal with any situation but her stomach twisted with nervous anticipation. She hadn't announced her arrival but she knew that the _Fire_ had been monitored as soon as she'd entered the system.

There was bound to be a reception committee waiting for her. She could feel them. More importantly, she could feel _him_. She had felt the pinprick of instant awareness go through her as soon as he'd guessed the ship belonged to her. Her shields were good but not good enough to hide from the Jedi Master – especially this close to one another.

"Well, well, well," Corran muttered as he watched the beautiful streamlined ship glide into the landing bay area. "Not a sight I expected to see here for some time."

"Why" asked Kam, his grey eyes curious.

"That's the _Jade's Fire_ – Mara's ship. Mara has been avoiding Luke recently - or is it the other way round?" Corran peered at the security vid-screen.

"Do you have an explanation?" Kam asked.

"There has been some tension between them for some time and Mara has been rather cosy with Calrissian for the past year."

"Yes, that story has even reached all the way out here."

"I thought Mara had more discernment than that and something about that situation doesn't seem quite right. I just can't see Mara Jade putting up with Lando…I like the man but it's a strange combination. Luke has appeared to avoid Mara when she's with Lando. Then there is the fact that Han did say that there was a little friction between Luke and Lando the last time he was on Coruscant."

"You think Luke resents Lando for possibly distracting Mara away from her Jedi training?"

"Could be but…" Corran paused - he had his own theories about Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade.

"Talon Karrde is scheduled to deliver some orders for the Academy," said Kam. "Perhaps, Mara Jade is the messenger instead of her boss."

"Perhaps. Knowing Mara she will have her reasons - whatever they are. That is indisputably the _Jade's Fire_ that has just arrived. Whether we've correctly identified those reasons – who can say."

"Someone should inform the Master," Tionne murmured as she glided into the control room and stood behind her husband, her hand resting gently upon his shoulder. "Although he retired for the night much earlier than usual."

"He will find out in the morning," Kam soothed.

"Excuse me, Master Solusar," Groet said apologetically. "I contacted the Master as soon as the ship entered orbit. He was not sleeping and is heading to meet the ship."

"He knows who it is?" Tionne turned her pale eyes on the Corellian Jedi.

Corran laughed mockingly. "Of course he does. Luke knows where Mara is a good eighty percent of the time and she knows where he is _ninety_ percent of the time."

Kam nodded, sudden understanding crossing his face.

The com crackled abruptly to life. "Corran, its okay. I'm sure you recognised the ship…"

"I recognised it," Corran replied dryly.

"I'm on my way to meet Mara now."

"Sure, Luke," the pilot said with a grin. "I'll say goodnight. Tell Jade that I'll see her in the morning before I leave."

"Will do."

Corran grinned and turned to the others. "No dangers… we can all head back to bed. Apart from you, Groet?"

"I'm on the late shift all this week," the student said ruefully pulling off his headset. "But I don't mind it really."

Tionne patted the young man on the shoulder. "Of course you don't."

Luke strode silently along the path that led from his living quarters to the landing site. A pang of concern entered his head. Was she all right? She'd suffered no further reaction to her ordeal?  The ramp hissed open and Luke could see the slender figure dressed in dark green, her hair braided tightly behind her. She looked good - more than all right. He took a deep breath, pushed his hood back onto his shoulders and stepped forward.

Despite the lateness of the hour, Mara had expected to be met with the full compliment of Jedi teachers who lived and worked on Yavin. She'd had that treatment before and it was rather unnerving because normally that sort of scrutiny didn't bother her. Perhaps it was the feeling that a dozen pairs of eyes were drilling into her and judging the contents of her heart and mind and could find out what she was thinking, if they wanted to, that was so unnerving.

But there was no one present. Mara stood a little dumbfounded for a moment, her teeth worrying her lip. The landing site was on the edge of the jungle a little way away from the Academy buildings. She stared out into the trees and felt very much alone. Should she have come after all?

Then she felt it. The power, as it hit her, made her sway a little and clutch on to the door frame for support. "Luke?" she whispered, her green gaze searching for him. "Luke."

The Jedi was leaning against a large tree for support. Dressed all in black, he merged into the night. All the breath seemed to have left his lungs as their Force signatures called out to one another and intertwined. What was happening to them?

"Mara," he mumbled faintly and staggered forward, his arms outstretched.

"Luke," she said thankfully and ran to meet him, her limbs shaking.

Luke stopped and got a grip on his emotions and his wayward body but it was difficult when Mara moved into his arms as if she belonged there. Their bodies sang with the contact. They stood in an embrace for what seemed like ages until they both came belatedly to their senses and stepped abruptly away from one another.

"It's good to see you," Luke said quietly, his manner somewhat formal. "You have recovered?"

"Recovered?"

"From…uh…" Luke shrugged, reluctant to remind her of her experience.

"Oh." Mara seemed at a loss for words.

"You …"

"Recovered?" she said slowly. "Oh, yes, I think so." She slowly circled the Jedi Master then stopped, staring at him, her expression compelling. "Recovered from being kidnapped, drugged and sold? From being lied to by people I thought I could trust."

"Mara…" Luke could feel her antagonism begin to grow. "Beware anger…"

Mara tried to hold onto her temper. This man had saved her life but the power of her anger crept up unawares, surprising her. "_Beware anger? _How dare you!" Mara spat, lifting her hand as all the feelings she was trying to control ignited into fury. Luke's danger sense pinged and he read her intentions just before it was too late.

"Mara!" he exclaimed as he caught her arm mid-strike just inches from his cheek. "What's wrong? What have I done?"

"What have you done?" she almost screeched, wrenching her arm from his firm grasp. "…lied to me!"

"I never…" Luke swallowed. He hadn't exactly lied to her. He'd just not told her the truth. "Yes, I lied to you. I hoped you would never know."

"Why the secrecy, the games…?"

Luke tried to read the expression in her green eyes but couldn't see properly in the dark. She was shielding firmly and he couldn't read her there either. "I didn't want you to suffer unnecessarily…"

"I'm a big girl, Skywalker. I can take it." Mara lifted her head, her emerald eyes drilling laser bolts at him.

"I didn't want you to know that I had seen you so vulnerable."

"You've saved my life before – remember the hunt for the Katana fleet? You should have told me."

"I'm sorry," Luke said, his face stiffening. He moved away from her and rested his hand on the aged trunk of an enormous tree.

"Sorry!" she echoed. "_Sorry!_ Is that all you can say?"

"What else can I say?" Luke bit back. "I'm glad you're alive? I didn't want you to die? All of those are true but it's not enough for you, is it? You would rather that I hadn't come for you at all? You would have rather I left you _there_?"

"Well, thank you very much." The sarcasm oozed from her lips as she tried to ignore the import of his words. _'I'm glad you're alive.'_

Luke scowled. "I didn't do it for your thanks. I did it for you – pure and simple. You are not beholden to me in any way." He turned and faced her properly, his face weary in the faint glimmer of the lights still lit around the landing area.

Mara frowned, holding fast to her wrath with difficulty. _'Beholden, _an old fashioned word,' she thought uneasily.

Luke pressed closer, his eyes earnest as his anger drained away. "I know you, Mara. I know the kind of things that run through your head. I did it for you." There was a short silence then he added softly. "My friend. Perhaps I did it for me, too. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"How can you even begin to guess at the kind of things that are in my head? It's none of your business." She turned away from him, rejecting his appeal. She thought she would be able to let it go but she couldn't. Her servitude and her betrayal by the Emperor still had the power to hurt her deeply. "You lied to me."

"So?" Luke retorted sharply. "You'd think I wouldn't do it again?  I'd do anything to save your life and to spare you pain," Luke told her baldly. "Even lie to you."

Mara whirled around, red-gold braid flying and just gaped at him. "_What!"_

"You heard me."

Luke's voice was cold and a memory impinged upon Mara. She stood frozen desperately trying to recall what it was.

He took a deep breath regaining his serenity. He had to keep his wits about him where she was concerned. No other being in the entire galaxy could affect him like she did. He had to regain his equilibrium. "Have you got what you need for the night, or will you be spending it on your ship?" Luke enquired carefully, his voice cool.

The hazy memory faded leaving her frustrated and annoyed with herself _and _the man in front of her. "I've spent over a week in my ship. Surely this place has a spare room or two," she snapped brusquely.

"Follow me," Luke said and immediately turned on his black booted heel and led the way, disappearing into what looked like the middle of a thicket.

Mara watched as he disappeared from sight and exhaled loudly. She'd wanted him as rattled as she was herself. As soon as she'd seen his figure leaning against the tree she'd felt…unsettled. He was a good-looking man, she admitted to herself and not for the first time. Why did he make her so angry?

"You coming?" His voice floated back through the trees.

"Yeah!"

Luke led her though the undergrowth. Mara cursed as a branch smacked her in the face. This was obviously a shortcut to the landing area that only Luke was familiar with. He was all dressed up tonight, she observed thoughtfully - the full Jedi blacks and his cloak, the knee length boots polished to perfection, the lightsaber… No, the lightsaber wasn't dangling from its customary place on his belt. Its absence confirmed what she already knew.

"Wait!" She pushed her way into the trees.

Luke led her right into a smallish temple which had been converted into living spaces and with a wave of his hand opened a door. "In here."

"But this is your apartment," Mara said in bewilderment. She'd been to Yavin enough times to know that.

"Yes, but there are two bedrooms. The Academy is full to capacity right now. If you had waited a week longer before flying out or contacted me before you arrived, we could have made arrangements for your accommodations. Many of the junior students will go home in the next few weeks to spend time with their families. As it is, your choice is to stay with me or with the Solusars."

Mara's mouth dropped open and her sense in the Force mirrored her outright rejection of that idea.

"No?" Luke queried with dark amusement. "I thought not. You're in here, Jade. I will see you in the morning. If you are to be my student, it is better that we are close." Luke's traitorous mind presented him with the picture of her in his arms just before he'd kissed her. He'd almost lost his head. "It will only be for a couple of weeks."

"Your student?"

"That is why you are here, right?" Luke asked pointedly. "If it's not, you just have to say so."

Mara stepped slowly into Luke's spare bedroom and put her carryall down on the bed. Turning, she opened her mouth to ask him…but he smiled formally and backed away leaving her alone. "Luke!" she moaned with exasperation. What was wrong with him? Or to be exact – what was wrong with her? She hadn't thanked him for saving her life. Instead, she had shouted at him and accused him of lying to her. She sighed. Her vicious temper was still a curse. She'd had time to think on her journey but she hadn't acted as if she had.

She wasn't the woman who had followed Palpatine blindly so why was she still acting as if she were? Luke was not her enemy. Far from it – Luke was…?

Her mouth firmed. Just exactly what was he?


	22. Part 22

**The Emerald Price Chapter 22**

****

**By Ash Darklighter**

****

**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you? My thanks also to Niqella and Rhea for their encouragement and invaluable suggestions.

**Yavin IV**

Mara showered in the tiny shower room adjacent to her bedchamber. It was nice…no, she decided, it was wonderful…to wash in the luxury of real, hot, plentiful water. She let it stream over her slender body. The sonic shower in the _Fire_ was adequate but couldn't replace the real thing.

Gathering her mane of fiery hair she rubbed the cleanser through it and lathered the soapy mass. Rinsing it out, she wrapped a towel around her head and another around her body. Luke had thoughtfully left several large fluffy towels out for her.

Once she had dried herself, Mara pulled on a lacy white sleeping shift she favoured, clouds of frothy material swirling around her slim form as she made her final preparations for bed. But she wasn't at all sleepy. Being on Yavin had somehow energised her. She could hear the comforting sounds of Luke as he also prepared for bed, moving around the rest of the small apartment. There was something very intimate about being alone with the Jedi Master.

She pulled on her matching robe and finished storing her things in the drawers and cupboards. Luke had been quite clear that the choice to stay had to be hers. The accommodation was basic but the bedroll was comfortable and the linens were spotlessly clean. It was only temporary, this arrangement – a few days at the most. The younger students were readying to return to their homes leaving the more advanced padawans and their teachers time to hone their own skills.

Mara knew that the Academy would need more space and some more of the unused temple buildings were to be converted into living and working areas. The Jedi Order was ready to grow and thrive. She had to be part of that expansion and she would be – it was her right and her destiny.

Mara opened her bedchamber door and peered out into the lounge. A lamp sitting on a low table was still lit, bathing the room in a warm glow. Luke's presence seemed to surround her and she realised how much she had missed him. Yes, he had been by her side while she'd been fighting for her life but she'd been too ill to appreciate that fact.

"Drink?" Luke murmured quietly as he wandered out of the galley kitchen carrying two steaming mugs.

"Yes, thanks." Mara felt ridiculously tongue-tied as she carefully took the mug from his outstretched hand. "Chocolate?"

"Of course." Luke gave a small smile which turned into a frown. "Do I ever drink anything else this late at night? I wouldn't sleep if I had a caf. You are okay with chocolate? I can…"

"No, chocolate's fine." Mara, rather than meet the all too shrewd blue eyes of the man in front of her, decided to survey the oddly shaped room. It wasn't the first time she'd been in his Yavin home. She'd been there on a number of occasions. So why did everything feel different?

Luke had neatly sectioned it off into different areas. There was a large curved alcove with doors which opened out onto a small balcony. In it, Luke had positioned his desk and shelves full of books, disks and other such sources of information. The view across the jungle planet towards the mountains was quite stunning. Mara imagined Luke just sitting at his desk…dreaming.

Another area had been set up as a relaxation area with large sofas and an entertainment unit. The furniture was of good quality but obviously wasn't new. Dividing the sofas from what looked like a covered workbench was a large display shelf full of holos of his friends and family. She decided not to peer too closely just in case she wasn't represented.

"What is it?"

Mara turned her head and smiled at Luke. "I was just seeing what you'd done to the place."

"Nothing much as I recall."

"I don't remember it being set up quite like this and that desk is new."

"It _has_ been a while since you were last here. Leia bought it for me – must be over three years ago," he said. "She knows what I like. That greel wood desk was in one of the more upmarket Coruscant stores at a ridiculous price. We passed by the store on several occasions. I love the crimson colour of greel wood and stopped to admire it every single time. As you know," he gave her a wry smile as he continued, "I'm not one for shopping but Leia wanted my advice on something she was buying for Han. Unbeknown to me, while I was giving advice on Han's gift, she sent Han in to haggle for the desk. When I returned to Yavin, the desk was already here. I think the old pirate managed to slash several hundred credits off the price." Luke smiled as he remembered the pleasure he had felt at his sister's thoughtfulness.

"I know Merson Kayson quite well," Mara commented. "If you ever wanted anything else made from that particular wood…"

"Kayson? The owner of the logging company on Pii3?"

"Yes."

Luke grinned. "I know him well, too. He worked for the Rebellion."

"I didn't know that," Mara said in surprise.

"Just as well," Luke muttered.

Mara made a face. "I just thought that if you ever wanted…"

"I'll let you know – we can do a trade."

"Luke…" she hesitated.

He could feel her uncertainty. It mirrored his own. He could guess at what she wanted to talk about. "Leave it, Mara," he said.

"No."

"I said, leave it.

"You're not my master yet."

Luke subsided into one of the sofas – his face impassive. He didn't want to influence her. If she stayed on it truly had to be her decision. She sounded positive and despite telling himself to remain focused, Luke felt his pulse speed up. "You genuinely want to finish your training?"

"Yes, but that's not what I want to discuss right now," Mara stated with determination. "Luke, I have to…"

"You said enough when you landed," Luke answered, his voice flat. Maybe he wanted this too much for himself as well as her. Perhaps his objectivity was in question. "It might be better if one of the other masters took you on."

"No. You will train me to knighthood. I will not learn from anyone else."

"I do not teach all the classes, Mara," Luke said gently. "I do not have to be your Master. You have a choice."

"You will be my Master, Luke. You will be the one I answer to. Of course, other teachers have areas of expertise I will benefit from but you will lead me."

"If you are sure…?"

"I am, but this isn't about my training," Mara said grimly, glaring at him, her green eyes hard. He was the absolute limit. "I'm trying to apologise."

"I don't…"

Luke suddenly found himself pressed flat against the back of the sofa. Mara straddled him, the action awkward in her flowing nightwear but he recognised the familiar feel of her little hold-out blaster as it pressed into his neck. "Will you let me say that I'm sorry?" she demanded petulantly.

"This doesn't strike me as being an apology," Luke managed to say.

"Well, it is. So shut up and let me apologise." Mara's eyes shot sparks into his.

Luke swallowed. She was too close. He could smell her perfumed skin; feel the welcome weight of her body across his thighs. The fabric, though concealing, was soft and he could feel every curve of her body as she pressed against him. Luke willed his body to behave. "Yes," he croaked from a dry throat. "Okay, you're sorry," he muttered, his eyes downcast, and then some of his rogue squadron devilment surfaced. He wasn't her Master yet and he was still a man and the view he was getting down her cleavage wasn't giving his poor beleaguered libido any rest. "Nice er… robe. Now will you get off me?"

She glanced down and almost gasped. His face had been pressed against the gaping top of her garment. Mara's face flamed and she scrambled off him.

There was an awkward moment as they both tried to recover their senses. Mara began to pace in front of Luke. "I'm grateful for what you did for me," she said quietly. "But why let me think that it was Karrde and Calrissian?"

Luke's eyes darkened at the mention of Lando. "I don't want your gratitude. I don't want that to be your reason for deciding to complete your training."

He still wasn't answering her question. "You can be such a nerf," she said scornfully. "Gratitude has nothing to do with my wanting to train with you. It is time and I _am_ ready."

"Good." He had to give her something but neither was he ready to relive the despair he'd felt when he'd thought he might lose her forever. "I would lie a thousand times over to save your life and not cause you any more pain."

"But why?" she persisted.

Luke stifled a rueful smile. Force, she was stubborn. "Karrde did come after you and did help to save your life. He was waiting for us at Czerip and transported your stasis chamber back to Coruscant. You would not be alive otherwise."

"And Lando?"

Luke got up and walked away, his whole body stiff. He couldn't continue to do this. She looked like a small girl sitting there dressed in a frilly nightgown, her glorious hair tumbling about her shoulders. Luke felt a shiver run through him. She had felt all woman to him as she had pressed herself against him. "He was unable to be there."

"Lando said you'd had a disagreement. Was that what this was about?"

"He was unable to be there," Luke repeated woodenly. "That's all I can say."

"Don't give me that pile of Hutt excrement," Mara snapped. "I know Lando."

"You should. He is the man you're in love with. I went in his place…"

Mara snorted. "I don't love Lando. Some business deal would have kept him from soiling his latest fancy outfit by coming after me. That or another woman."

"I went in his place," Luke maintained. "That's unfair. Lando has been through as much as the rest of us have. How could he spend time with another woman when he has you? He is the man that's been constantly by your side for the last year. You _should_ love him. He was there for you when you returned to Coruscant. He was constantly by your side when you were in the medicentre."

"So were you."

"You were ill and needed your friends," Luke said simply. Something in his voice made Mara pause.

She swallowed. "Lando and I…"

"I'm glad you're happy with him, Jade. Truly I am." Luke tipped up his mug and downed the last of its contents. "Now, I have a class early in the morning and I…"

"I cannot choose who I love – I can try but it never works that way. There _is_ no Lando and I," Mara stated wondering at the strange emotions she could feel leaking through Luke's normally duracrete strength shields. What was he thinking?

"You…what!" Luke decided that he was hearing things. "No…"

"There is no Lando and I." Mara stood up and walked towards the window. Outside, the jungle planet seemed to be fully dark and impenetrable. She could see nothing but she knew that it teemed with life.

"You broke up…when…how?" His voice became stern, his face darkening. "You…broke up with him? What did he do? Not another woman?" He slammed his mug onto another low table and stepped closer to where she stood twisting her hands together nervously. "Force, Mara…" He placed his hands on her shoulders and drew her unresisting figure towards him, turning her so that he could search her face for the truth. "Are you okay?" He gave a little half-smile. "Do you want me to bend him a little?"

As his hands closed possessively on her shoulders, his nearness swamped her senses. Her eyes widened and grew dark as they stared at one another. She could have left it there but she wanted the truth to come out. She wanted everything clear between them. It had become vitally important to start afresh. "I'm okay. It's difficult to explain…"

"You don't have to explain anything."

She shook her red-gold head trying to ignore the heady effect of his closeness. "Oh, but I do. Lando and I were never lovers. We were nothing to one another."

"But I saw you…"

"No, let me finish," Mara murmured. "You and the rest of the galaxy chose to believe. It was a cover job for Karrde. He wanted us to investigate the disappearance of a former colleague. Working as a couple put many beings off the scent. I was taken when Lando and I had a row and I went on my own. What you saw wasn't real. We were pretending. Or at least, I was."

"What!" Luke's voice rose. "It was a fabrication? All that time, the touching…" He dropped his hands from her shoulders and stepped backwards, turning away from her. "And you couldn't tell me."

Mara bit her lip, feeling her guilt rise. Luke sounded as if she had hurt him in some way. "No, the only person that knew about this deception was Karrde. We had to be convincing."

"You were that all right," Luke said sneeringly. "I was convinced. It does make sense now. I just couldn't see you with Lando and the feelings you emitted were conflicting."

"Not good enough for the Baron?" Her voice was bitter.

"Yes, Lando isn't good enough for you," Luke's voice was muffled. "You deserve better – someone who understands you…loves you," he finished quietly.

"_I _deserve better?" Mara echoed.

"And you _kissed_ him," Luke said incredulously. "You looked as if you were enjoying it."

"Oh, wake up, Skywalker. I couldn't fight him off in public. Believe me, a kiss was all that he did get." She shook her head disbelievingly. Why was she continuing to try to explain herself? Mara wished that she could see his face. She wanted to know what he was thinking but he had mastered his emotions and his shields were locked up tight. However, it was illuminating that Luke thought that Lando Calrissian, hero of Endor, friend of the Rebel Alliance and all round successful business man, wasn't good enough for her – Mara Jade, former Imperial and smuggler. "Luke…" She addressed his stiff shoulders and stretched out a hand to touch his black clad form, watching with interest as he flinched at the contact. "I wanted to tell you – I really did…"

"But you didn't trust me enough." He swung around to face her, his blue eyes blazing.

"That's not true," Mara protested heatedly. "You are the one man in the entire galaxy that I do trust. I just _couldn't_ tell you."

"Why not? I could have kept your secret but no, there's just not enough trust to tell me that the relationship the whole galaxy was privy to wasn't real. You ask me why I lied to you and in the next breath tell me you've been lying to everyone for a _whole year_?"

Mara blinked in shock. He had a point.

"You hate to be lied to…to be deceived? Well, here's news for you – so do I. You spent your childhood being lied to? Well, so did I - I got over it."

"That's a little harsh." Mara wondered if she was imagining things but Luke sounded… almost as if he were jealous.

"You could have told me."

"Luke…"

"Go to bed, Jade," he said. "I'm too tired to think and act rationally at the moment I'm _sure _we'll talk about this tomorrow. The discussion will keep until then, don't you think?"

Luke didn't think he would be able to sleep but the emotional upheaval he experienced when he saw her, had learned about her deception, had taken its toll. As soon as his head hit the pillow he was fast asleep and he stayed that way until he was awakened several hours later by the sun streaming through his window.

Mara was here – he couldn't believe it. She was here and she was going to stay for a while and finally train to be a Jedi knight. The source of much of Luke's unease had no basis in fact. She and Lando had never been lovers but the suave gambler had wanted her. Lando had desired Mara the very first time that he'd seen her. Luke wondered if he'd just been recognising his own feelings mirrored on the Baron's face.

The whole relationship had been a lie from the very beginning. Luke had thought it a strange combination and other people who knew Lando and Mara well had thought the same but none of them had questioned it totally. Of course, Han had had his suspicions. Luke gave a wry smile. There was little that got past the shrewd Corellian.

His heart lifted. Mara was a free woman. He sat up straighter, pushing the pillows into place to support his back. What had Mara's status got to do with him? The little voice came back to tempt him.

_'She's not seeing Lando. She's beautiful, Force strong and she's here on Yavin with you – not flying around the galaxy for Karrde. You could try your luck with her.'_

Luke shook his head. 'But there's no such thing as luck. Besides, my life is given to the Jedi.'

'_You read that passage in the book Obi-Wan left for you. Some of the Jedi did marry. Where would all the Force strong children come from if there were no Jedi liaisons? Not all of them came from nowhere. Look at Corran; he came from a family strong in the Jedi tradition as did Kam Solusar. He learned from his father and he is now a married man. You come from a line imbued strongly with the Force. Your son or daughter could learn from their father.' _Then the little voice added the most important factor of all. _'You love her.'_

'But she doesn't love me.'

_'How do you know? Are you so certain?'_

Luke took a deep gulping breath of air and dropped his head into his hands. The urge to reach out and take another risk was so strong but Luke wasn't sure if he could handle such a rejection. Mara had not wanted Calrissian who possessed all the skills needed to handle women. What would make her fall in love with a farmboy turned Jedi Master with little to offer her except a loving heart. She cared for him deeply. Luke was aware of that but was it enough to dare take things further? He had rushed to save her motivated by the desperate fear that if he lost her he would never be truly happy again. He had taken apart his lightsaber to free her – the symbol of a Jedi. What would he not do for her? Had he put her ahead of his duty to the Jedi Order? No, Mara was meant to become a knight.

He swung his legs out of bed and wandered into the refresher. As he washed away the remnants of sleep he knew he had to do some work on his new lightsaber. He couldn't spar Mara Jade with a practice saber and definitely not with one that shorted out for no apparent reason. Mara should still be asleep. He reached out to make sure. Yes, she was still sleeping. He finished his shower quickly, dressed in his usual black tunic and pants and made his way to his workbench.

Mara opened her eyes and gazed sleepily at the ceiling. This wasn't the _Jade's Fire. _Then her awareness kicked in. She was on Yavin IV. More importantly, she was in Luke Skywalker's quarters on Yavin IV. Tentatively she reached out for his presence and found that she didn't need to. His warmth and light surrounded her. For the first time since he'd been by her side at the Coruscant medicentre she felt secure. Why was Luke the only man in the entire galaxy that made her feel that way?

Mara had to admit that she was apprehensive about her training. Her life hadn't been easy but if she were to succeed as a Jedi she had the feeling that things could get a lot harder. She had finally told Luke the truth about her relationship with Lando. How often she had wanted to call him up on the holo and just tell him. But maybe he might have wondered just _why _she was telling him. Mara wondered that herself. She hadn't been sure how Luke would react to her news and, typically, he hadn't reacted in the way she had expected. Had she hoped that he'd immediately slide to his knees and declare his undying devotion for her? What was infinitely more worrying was – did she want him to?

She slumped against her pillow. Was she wrong to be so angry? Part of her said 'no.' Luke had denied her the chance to thank him for saving her life. He said he had done it for a friend but this was had been no light undertaking. He'd travelled to the other end of the galaxy to save her, risking his own life in the process. How many times had they performed that service for one another? She still carried too much anger inside her heart and mind. Anger was of the dark side, not the light, and she knew which direction she wanted to take. Luke had done much to help her and she was gradually letting it go. Or she thought she was. She had to move on from the chokehold her dealings with the Emperor had placed upon her.

A muffled sound from beyond her bedchamber caught her ears, Luke was awake and on the move. She checked her wrist chrono and gasped. She must have slept longer than usual. The sun had been up for some time which meant that Luke must have been awake also even though he'd been up late with her the previous evening. It never ceased to amaze her how Luke timed his life to the light and energy of a planet's sun. She gave a fond smile. He must have been hell to live with on Tatooine. She could almost visualise Luke as a small child, blue eyed eagerness and a restless energy. He hadn't changed that much.

She slipped from the bed and dressed quickly in a dark green tunic and pants. Opening the door, she peered out into the lounge. Where was he?

"Morning, Jade." Seated at his desk, Luke lifted his head and grinned at her. "You finally surfaced. I was wondering whether you were going to sleep all day."

"Skywalker." Mara approached the desk and waited as Luke switched off his holoviewer. "You should have woken me."

"I decided to let you sleep in a little. The softest bed in the most upmarket of ship's cabins is no replacement for a proper night's rest. Are you hungry?" he enquired taking in the welcome sight of her attractive form as she stood before him. "I usually eat in the dining room with the other Jedi. We can still catch breakfast there – it's not too late."

"Oh…sure," Mara muttered. She'd thought that they could have spent a little more time alone together. She still wanted to ask him about… Her fingers closed around the crystal in her pocket. "That would be pleasant. If you'll excuse me for a moment, I would like to tie back my hair."

Luke's eyes immediately tracked to her crowning glory, his hand reaching out involuntarily to trace a springy curl. "Leave it," he whispered. "It's beautiful."

Mara gaped at him. The expression on the Jedi master's face was similar to the look he had sported after their unexpected kiss on Coruscant. "It's not practical for training," she said, her voice reasonable.

"We're going to eat breakfast, not indulge in hand-to-hand combat." He grinned wickedly at her. "Not yet, at any rate."

The short walk to the dining room, housed in the largest of the temple buildings, took only a few minutes. Mara noted that Luke was again dressed formally in his Jedi blacks and cloak but his lightsaber was still not hanging from his belt. Her hand slipped inside her tunic pocket and closed around the green crystal. She would find the right moment and return his crystal to him today.

"Hey, Jade!" a voice greeted loudly as she and Luke entered the dining room.

"Horn?" Mara queried in surprise.

"Yup." The Corellian pilot pulled out a seat.

"I didn't know you were here. Farmboy didn't say."

"Just a fly past," Corran said grinning from ear to ear.

Luke chuckled as he placed a mug of caf in front of Mara and one of stim tea for himself. "He has other things to do, people to meet…places to be…"

"I get it," Mara cut off the beaming Jedi Master who looked as if he was going to start a lengthy soliloquy on the subject.

"His wife demands his presence," Luke threw in.

Corran shot the Jedi Master a look. "Someone's in a good mood this morning."

"He's always too cheerful in the morning. Up with the sun or perhaps he suffered too much sun as a child," Mara retorted.

"I have to go this morning…in the next hour. I'm meeting Mirax in one of the neighbouring systems. If I stay any longer Mirax will divorce me and he'll have me teaching some of his classes."

"I thought you were going to participate in some of my classes," Luke joked. "There are one or two areas that need to be sharpened up a little."

"Not fair and you're not funny, Skywalker." Corran made a face. "Plus I had to bunk in Streen's quarters last night and he snores. Where are you finding all these Force adepts? There used to be plenty of rooms."

"Mara doesn't snore," said Luke with a wink at the other man. "Well, just the occasional little one – very ladylike."

"How do you…Skywalker!" Mara spluttered flushing.

"Corran was in Streen's spare bedroom – so there was no room for you there, Jade. I was the only one left with room."

"Oh," Mara said sending daggers across the table. She shifted and directed her enquiry to Corran, who was trying hard to stifle his amusement. "How is Mirax?"

"She's in good form. Like our dear Jedi master this morning."

"Booster?" Luke queried, with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Same as ever, unfortunately."

Mara and Luke laughed and Corran joined in. It was nice to be sharing this time with two men she considered to be her friends, Mara thought with satisfaction.

"You dropping off supplies, Jade?" Corran asked.

Mara paused and then gave her answer in a clear voice with no hint of doubt. "No. I've come to do some training with Luke. I was given leave of absence by Karrde, although he did make me haul a ton of stuff for the Academy. My last supply run for a while."

Although Mara didn't notice, but Corran did, the smile crossing Luke Skywalker's face could have lit up the entire core worlds.

Luke relaxed. She would stay.

Mara strolled along with Corran as he headed towards his X-wing. He flicked on his comlink. "Whistler…fire up the converters." A stream of astromech whistles could be heard. "Yes, little buddy, I'm on my way now."

Mara grinned. "What is it with you pilots and your astromech droids?"

"Can't do without them, Jade." He stared at her curiously with his light green eyes. "What made you decide to come to Yavin?"

"Many things but I guess the main reason is that I'm ready to finish my Jedi training. I wasn't before."

"That's as good a reason as any." He stopped in front of his ship and gave the hull an affectionate pat. "How long before he starts the torture?"

Mara glanced back at the temple building. "Skywalker? He's got a class with some of the juniors and I have to unload the cargo. I think he's scheduled me in with one of the senior fitness classes. I'm trying to improve in that area."

Corran looked confused. "But surely, even by Jedi standards you must be in good condition?"

Mara sighed. "I had a bout of the Leptas virus recently. Caught it out on the Rim. There's a real epidemic out there. I was lucky and was treated."

Corran pulled a face. "Oh, nasty."

"I got over it. My fitness isn't quite up to what it should be but I'm working on it. A run through the jungle with a bunch of bounding adolescents will be just the thing."

Corran snickered. "I can see you already leading the pack." His face sobered. "Don't be too hard on him, Jade."

"I'm not hard on him," she said, frowning. Karrde had said something very similar.

"You are, you know. He's trying the best that he can. He's human and he makes mistakes – we all do. But he's the best one for the job. He's the only Master you respect enough to listen to."

"I know that and I do respect him. He's done more for me than anyone else in the galaxy – even more than Karrde."

"Look, Jade. I may be out of line here, but you mean a lot to him. More perhaps than any other Jedi initiate in the galaxy. Jedi training was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I'm not talking about the physical aspects and that wasn't easy either. It's the way your brain gets tied in knots. You have to learn about yourself; you have to plumb the depths and turn your soul inside out."

Mara managed a brave smile. "I can do that."

Corran patted her on the shoulder. "Yes, I know you can but while it's happening don't give Luke too much grief."

"I think Luke and I have gone through many of our trials already. We've given each other enough grief to last several lifetimes."

Corran nodded slowly. "Maybe you have and maybe it's time that changed."

"You're speaking in riddles, Horn."

"Booster says I never make any sense but that's his opinion. I think I make perfect sense." He grinned. "Well, I understand what I'm getting at. My father-in-law is just trying to be awkward."

Whistler in the x-wing's droid slot began to whirl his head and squeak loudly.

"Okay, I'm coming Whistler. Draw in your wheels," Corran called in exasperation. "Droids – who would have them?"

"You wouldn't be without Whistler the same as Skywalker wouldn't be without Artoo."

"True." Corran climbed up the ladder and slid into the cockpit.

Mara grinned. "Say hello to Mirax for me."

"I will."

"Clear skies, Horn."


	23. Part 23

**The Emerald Price Chapter 23**

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**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you? My thanks also to Niqella and Rhea for their encouragement and invaluable suggestions.

Mara didn't see much of Luke for the rest of that day. After bidding Corran farewell she returned to her room and changed into her exercise gear ready to join a class of senior students on a route through the jungle. "Will this kill me?" she asked a lithe looking, pale green Twi'lek female.

"No, this is only rated at a moderate level of difficulty," the Twi'lek answered. "I think you should manage this without any problems. I'm B'Nera D'ewal. "

"Mara Jade."

"I know," B'Nera said with a smile. "I've seen you here on a number of occasions but this is the first time you've joined us for a training run. You usually go with Master Skywalker."

Mara grinned. "Ah, but this time I've joined your ranks."

"One of us, eh?" B'Nera said, her eyes twinkling. "Welcome to the class."

The run left her tired and aching but happy that she had some purpose to her life once more – something to aim for. For a brief moment, she had worried that she would be left trailing behind the others but she had kept up easily. She pulled at the strap of her black top which clung damply to her body. She needed to visit a shower and soon.

"Mara?"

"Master Solusar," she said evenly, turning to face the man approaching her from the main administrative building.

"Kam, please," he said with a cordial smile which was mirrored by the warmth in his grey eyes. "It's good to finally have you with us."

"Thank you for allowing me to come here."

Kam smiled. "Do you really think I had any choice in the matter?"

"I…I…I don't know," Mara answered slowly, feeling a sense of disappointment filling her. They hadn't wanted to let her come?

Kam watched her emotionless face carefully. She was giving nothing away but he was sensing something. Instinctively he sought to do what he thought was right. "I'm delighted you are here. It's long overdue. Master Skywalker said you would be joining us and said that he would take responsibility for your training."

Mara nodded. "I hope that's not created any problems for you?"

"No. Luke only teaches some of the more advanced classes these days. He has other responsibilities outwith our facility. I think they call it the rest of the galaxy." He quirked a wry smile. "We are hoping to provide him with companionship on his journeys. Perhaps when you achieve your knighthood you can accompany him?"

"Sounds good," Mara grinned for a moment and then the expression on her face changed to one of curiosity. "If I achieve my knighthood. You have faith in me."

"Why shouldn't I? Master Skywalker's faith is recommendation enough." Kam sounded as if there was no doubt. "You are strong in the Force and grounded in the light. You will become a good Jedi Knight."

Mara was a little taken aback. She had met with so much resistance as she'd tried to carve out a life for herself in the new post-imperial galaxy. To be welcomed so easily with so few questions asked was a novelty. "I have your supplies and your order of ilum crystals stored on my ship," she said quietly. "Karrde managed to locate a supply of good quality jewels."

"He managed to get the amount I wanted?"

"Yes." Mara nodded.

"Wonderful. I asked for more than I thought he could get. I should know by now never to underestimate Talon Karrde. We have several students who are almost ready to begin building their lightsabers. The Jedi are becoming a power once more in the galaxy and for that to continue to happen we need crystals for lightsabers. I inherited a crystal from my grandfather who was also a Jedi. My father told me that cooking your own crystal was perhaps the most taxing and time consuming part of building a weapon. It has to be correct in every facet. Even in the old days ready made crystals were mainly used."

"Luke's first saber…?"

"The one you carry?"

"No, the one he…" Mara stopped.

"His current saber." Kam nodded his head in understanding. "I believe he couldn't find a crystal suitable on Tatooine at the time and he created his own. I believe it links the Jedi to his lightsaber even more than usual."

"I see."

"He was hiding from agents of the Empire such as his father and yourself. He was also sought after by the criminal fraternity."

"Black Sun," Mara said, proving that even back then she was aware of Luke's desirability as a captive. "I remember him telling me about that once," she recalled. "One group wanted him alive and the other dead. It was just a matter of who would pay what. He'd just found out that Vader was his father and wanted Luke to join with him against the Emperor. Luke had failed to arrive on Bespin in time to save Solo and had walked into a trap. Tatooine was a waiting game - find out what had happened to Solo and recover from losing his hand in a fight with his own father."

"It was a difficult time for him having both mental and physical scars to deal with."

"There have been many difficult times for all of us. However, it is time for us to learn from our mistakes and move on." Mara held Kam's grey gaze.

Kam cleared his throat. He had dark times in his own life he didn't want to dwell on too often but perhaps Mara was right. He would meditate on this at a later point. "You are a wise woman, Mara Jade. I will arrange the loading droids to be at the Jade's Fire once you have had time to recover from your run."

"Not so much as recover as I do need to shower." She wrinkled her nose. "Just don't stand too close or inhale my aroma."

Kam chuckled. "I know that feeling well. Luckily, Yavin's tropical climate also includes plentiful rain so showers don't have to be considered a luxury. Luke always arrives from wherever he's been and immediately ups the ante as far as our general fitness is concerned. I sometimes think that I'm too old to be swinging through the jungle and climbing trees."

Mara could see, in her mind's eye, Luke leading a reluctant Kam on one of his epic runs. "Never," she disagreed lightly, a smile tugging at the edge of her lips.

"You can discuss with him which of the classes you want to participate in. I am quite aware that your expertise is far beyond that of a beginner and, in some areas, well beyond our advanced students. The Master will know what you must learn."

Mara blinked. She didn't know Kam Solusar well but he had had his trials, including a brush with the dark side, and had come through all the stronger. Giving Kam a smile she realised that she respected the serious man standing in front of her. It couldn't be easy taking on the training of young Jedi and being in Luke's shadow wasn't something to be undertaken lightly.

"Skywalker chose well," Mara commented thoughtfully. "You are the right person to be in charge of the Academy."

Kam looked surprised. "Coming from you, Mara Jade, that is an honoured compliment. I endeavour to live up to his ideals and expectations but in the end I can only try."

Mara grinned. "Better not let him hear you saying that. I believe the expression is 'do or do not, there is no try.'"

Kam laughed. "I think you are correct. He is still the head of the Order and by training Jedi at all levels we hope to see Yavin as more than just a school. I am still, I find, not too old to learn." He bowed his head. "I hope to see you at dinner." He turned and walked away, his brown cloak flowing behind him.

Mara returned to Luke's quarters, where she quickly showered and changed. She felt tired and not a little stiff. After checking that the _Fire_ had been unloaded properly, she delivered the precious ilum crystals to Kam's office where his silvery-eyed wife had stared at her, suspicion written large on her face.

Mara shrugged. So Tionne had yet to be convinced of Mara's genuine willingness to be a part of the Yavin community – she could live with that.

"Do you know your assigned timetable yet, Mara?" Tionne enquired.

Mara shook her head. "No, I've yet to discuss it with Master Skywalker." It felt strange to be referring to Luke in such a manner but Mara could feel Tionne's reserve through the Force. She was perhaps the weakest of Luke's first batch of students but had made up for her shortcomings through her hard work and total dedication to the Jedi cause. Mara wasn't one to be influenced by the opinions of others but for Luke's sake she had to make the effort. Treating Luke in public with the proper amount of deference Tionne thought he deserved would be the first step. Mara would not change the way she treated him in private. He needed her honesty.

"Your husband said it shouldn't be a problem whatever I decide to do. As long as I'm prepared to be flexible and fit in with whatever is going on around me, I should be fine. He is the head of the school and of course, even Luke…Master Skywalker…will listen to his opinion."

Tionne had seen Mara at her most obdurate and this new, reasonable woman in front of her was not what she had been expecting. "That should work," she said faintly.

"I have gaps in my knowledge and, on the other side of the credit, areas in which I have a lot of experience. It's just finding the right balance."

"The Force is all about balance," Tionne said cryptically as she held out a data card. Mara Jade's ability in the Force unnerved her. The only other being she had ever felt with the same amount of resonance was Master Skywalker himself. This woman who could wield the same amount of power had been an Imperial for most of her formative years. But Master Skywalker had always trusted her and longed for her to join the ranks of his Jedi. The Force must have been at work to keep her grounded in the light side. If Master Skywalker was so convinced that this was the right thing to do then Tionne would do her best to make it happen. She held out a data card. "This has details of all the classes currently taught here. Have a scan through and see what jumps out at you." Tionne didn't add that this was a luxury afforded to only the most advanced and gifted of the Jedi initiates.

"Thank you," Mara said, surprised. "I'll do that and discuss it with Skywalker."

"_Master_ Skywalker," Tionne insisted gently.

Mara rolled her eyes. "Oh for…_Master _Skywalker," she mumbled reluctantly. "Force, look at the time." Mara stuck her wrist chrono into Tionne's face. "Master Skywalker should be finishing his classes soon and has things he wants to discuss."

"Probably your timetable."

"Probably." Mara grinned and headed swiftly from the room, leaving a rather bewildered Tionne behind.

'She's changed,' thought Tionne as she watched the red-haired woman disappear. Perhaps Mara's presence on Yavin would work after all. Tionne hadn't been the only tutor to have doubts. She recalled the meeting where Luke had dropped his thermal detonator into the conversation. He had been certain that the Force was calling to Mara Jade more strongly than ever and that soon she would feel the need to seek out others of her own kind.

"She needs to be with the Jedi," Luke said. "Sporadic training with me a couple of times a year soon won't be enough."

"Then she can apply to join the next year's class," Kam said consideringly.

Luke shook his head. "She won't do that. Mara doesn't need to follow a set timetable or be with a particular class. Her programme must be challenging yet flexible."

Kirana Ti frowned. "That cannot work," she stated. "We do not have the staff to allow the luxury of such flexibility. What you are suggesting is that Mara Jade needs one-on-one training with a Master."

Luke was adamant. "She could not follow the same programme as any of our classes. None of the current programmes take into account Mara Jade's pre-existing accumulation of knowledge. It would be a complete waste of her time."

"Master Skywalker…" Kirana Ti protested.

"Who is our most accomplished hand-to-hand fighter?"

"Pod Nor," answered the Dathomerian witch without hesitation.

Luke tilted his head to one side. "Pod Nor…ah yes. I remember him. Is he up to the standard of a former Imperial assassin trained by the best exponents of the art that the Empire had at its disposal? Palpatine also saw that her knowledge of weaponry, combat strategy, sabotage and infiltration techniques were second to none."

The other tutors seated around the table frowned at the mention of Palpatine.

"Can he match that? Can you?" Luke pinned them all in place with his gaze.

Kirana Ti dropped her head. "No."

"She was already used to a lightsaber when I met her. She's had ten more years to work on improving any shortcomings with that weapon. You might beat her in a saber fight but you would not come out of it unscathed."

"There's more to Jedi life than fighting," Kirana Ti said.

"Of course there is. That's where Mara needs to focus most of her attention. She has the ability to communicate with other Force users across vast distances. Do we have any other students this advanced?"

Streen had been silent as he listened to the conversation. "There is no question about Mara joining us – the only question is when this will happen. Master Skywalker believes Mara Jade should be with us now. I agree."

Luke's face softened. "Thank you for your vote, Master Streen."

Kam pursed his lips, steepling the tips of his fingers together. "Mara has the required physical skills of a Jedi. I agree with Master Skywalker that she has to be taught in a different way than the others. We do not want to drive her away."

"That would not be good," Tionne's soft voice agreed.

Kam turned to Luke. "What about her Force skills generally? The ability to communicate we know about."

"She can accomplish simple levitation and use the Force to aid her endurance during a physical activity. She has learned how to shield her mind from the probes of others and can, for a short period of time, mask her presence in the Force."

"She can cloak?" Streen asked.

"No," Luke answered. "She can hide her identity but you can sense trained power approaching and she is powerful."

"That's what worries me," Kirana Ti said.

"That is why she has to be trained correctly in the ways of the Force. Mara is more dangerous half trained than fully trained." Luke's voice was sure. "Mara is a pragmatist and knows the pitfalls. She does not want to follow the example Palpatine left her."

"Who will take the responsibility of guiding Jade on her path?" asked Streen.

"I will be responsible for Mara Jade's training," Luke insisted firmly.

"She should join the senior class," argued Kirana Ti vigorously.

"We've already discussed this," Kam intervened, not wanting the discussion to go round in circles. "When she is ready, Mara will come to Yavin to train and Master Skywalker will select the most suitable course."

"Very well," Kirana Ti said, her reserve still showing. "Has she given us any indication?"

"I can't say when - but I know she will come and it will be soon," Luke said quietly. "Kam?"

"I agree with you, Luke. I have seen Mara in action and all she really needs is fine tuning. She needs to be here with the other Jedi. She can attend the other classes she wants to."

"Thank you," Luke said. "When she arrives on Yavin she will be ready to learn."

Luke was still teaching. She knew where he was at all times on this jungle planet without even thinking about it. Their shared bond was possibly stronger than the one that had linked her to Palpatine. Mara did not want someone else inside her head. It was bad enough dealing with herself and her own chaotic thoughts. But Luke appeared to be linked to her whether she liked it or not. Part of her wanted to reach out to him and break down whatever barrier he had constructed between them. There never had been a barrier such as this one before and Mara wanted to know why. It was not of her making.

She wandered around the apartment – it hadn't given her any new insights into Luke Skywalker. She knew him better than anyone, yet there were times when she couldn't fathom how his mind worked. There were times when she didn't want to.

The apartment was comfortable and warm, the muted colours soothing her spirit. His few possessions were scattered around in a haphazard yet pleasing arrangement. Things were on display because Mara knew that he liked them. She lifted up a crystal sculpture of a rare desert flower she'd found for him once on a trip to Tatooine. She could still feel his pleasure at receiving such a gift. Still, there was one thing he wasn't short of - holo-books and information files. Scanning the titles quickly, she reaffirmed that Luke Skywalker was passionate about the Jedi – its history and its teaching methods - craving knowledge which would help him in his quest.

A quick glance at her wrist chrono had told her that she still had several hours before dinner. She was impatient to see him – impatient to start her training. Luke would have something to say to her about that. A Jedi Knight had to learn patience.

Moving across to the holo display shelf she noted the family holos in prominent position. The gap-toothed images of the Solo children touched a chord in her heart. They looked so carefree. She'd never had that luxury. Mara picked up one of Han and Leia, a beautifully studied official portrait and behind it… Her hand flew to her mouth. Luke had a holo of her? Her pleasure at her unexpected discovery dimmed. Luke also had holos of the pilots he'd flown with in Rogue Squadron, one of Wedge and Iella on their wedding day and Mirax and Corran squinted awkwardly at the holo-operator from another.

She fixed her attention back onto her own image. It was one of herself at a Rogue Squadron party she'd once attended with him. She'd been dancing with someone and she looked happy as she'd returned to her place by Luke's side. Yes, she remembered that now. It had been just before she'd embarked on the disastrous fake liaison with Lando and the strange distance that had sprung up between her and Luke as a result.

Mara carefully placed the holo back on the shelf, a curious cold feeling permeating her heart. Luke was keeping his shields locked up tight. She couldn't remember exactly when this strange new distance had grown between them but it was around the time she had started seeing Lando publicly. The more she and Lando had acted out their charade, the more Luke had retreated into himself. Why had her farce with Lando put Luke at a distance, she wondered. Had he not approved and couldn't bring himself to say so? Or was there another reason?

She idly glanced at Luke's workbench and found that a cloth covered whatever he'd been working on. He'd always been good with machines, she reflected. Mara moved closer and lifted the cover. "Aha!" she said aloud. A lightsaber lay in pieces, trailing wires attached to strangely shaped metal fragments. She traced the shaft with a shaking finger. An image of his hand grasping the saber flashed into her mind. She dropped the cover back over the weapon and lifted her head, glancing about her. In the corner a small blast furnace sat, its door gaping slightly ajar. Mara peered inside but it was empty, the faint hint of burning reaching her nostrils.

"He's been cooking a new crystal," she whispered. There was now no doubt at all in her mind. "But it takes days…weeks even." Luke had been without his lightsaber for months because he had lost it saving her from the slavers.

How exactly had he done it? He hadn't fought her captors to free her. Mara wasn't even sure that he'd used the Force. But she was alive. Her hand sought the object in her pocket and could feel its tiny pulse through the Force as her fingers made contact.

Luke headed back to his quarters eagerly. The mere fact that Mara Jade was there waiting for him put a spring in his step. He couldn't believe that she was on Yavin at all, let alone ready to finish her training.

"Hello," he called tentatively as the door slid aside.

Mara was curled up on one of his sofas, her legs tucked underneath her, a holo-book in her hand. Her face lit up. "Hey, farmboy! Good day?"

Luke's heart jumped inside his chest. Force, she looked so right. "Yes – very good day. I've got this new student who has a lot of potential." It struck Luke that there was something incredibly domestic about the whole scene.

"Really," Mara relied dryly. "Tell me more."

"Could you make me a stim tea, please? I need to change." Luke was already heading to his bedchamber pulling off his tunic as he went.

"I'm not your kitchen droid," she mumbled under her breath.

"Please," he said beseechingly, pausing in the doorway. "Kitchen droids don't make good Jedi," he said. "You're much prettier than one of those clunkers…I... Well, it's true," he said a little defiantly. He quickly dashed inside away from the possible repercussions of his awkward comment.

"I'll only do it because you said 'please'," Mara retorted, secretly enjoying the quick flash of Luke's muscular chest as he disappeared from sight and gratified at his unexpected compliment. She headed into the galley kitchen and made a caf for herself and a stim tea for Luke.

"Oh, wonderful." Luke grabbed the large mug she had correctly guessed he favoured, sporting the slogan 'I'm with the Wookiee', and took a large swig of the hot brew. "Come and have a seat, Jade. We have to make up some sort of timetable for you." He subsided gratefully into the large soft cushions on one of the sofas. "The questions some of the juniors think up to torture me with are incredible," he moaned.

"You love it, Skywalker – stop complaining." Mara sat down opposite him, mug in one hand and data reader in the other. "Tionne gave me a look at this earlier today. I'm very impressed with what I see."

"Ah…the timetable. It's much better than it used to be," Luke admitted. "I could only do so much before. Kam and Tionne have reorganised the timetable so that it actually works. The tutors can concentrate on their specialities and it is good for the students to see different teachers and if I need to drop everything and head Force knows where, I can do that."

"Yes, it's a good thing not to be so reliant on one person. But Luke - don't run down your own achievements. When you started, farmboy, there _were_ no other teachers."

"True." He gave a quick, shy smile. "I did what I had to but I don't need to do it quite so much any more. Each student does now report to one Jedi knight in particular."

"I report to you?"

"Of course. You are my responsibility."

Mara wondered if he had realised that his eyes had darkened as he'd said that last word and was that possessiveness she could hear ringing fervently through his voice? "I'm no one's responsibility," she countered lightly.

Luke arched an eyebrow. "You think not? You misbehave with some of the other little Jedi and I'm the one who gets called to account.

"_Misbehave with those…" _Mara's jaw dropped open. "_Other _little_ Jedi! _Why…you…miserable excuse for a…"

"A master is responsible for the conduct of his Jedi initiate at all times," Luke said with a chuckle as he placed his mug on the table between them.

As soon as he did that, Mara aimed a cushion at his head. "Oh really?"

"Hey! You are supposed to treat your master with respect," Luke protested as he fielded the cushion neatly and tossed it back in her direction.

Mara laughed, her green eyes glinting with mirth. "When he is worthy of it, I suppose I should. But I'm being respectful. Notice it was the cushion I threw at you. My blaster's on the other side of the room."

He was momentarily breathless by the happiness that radiated from her. "Don't change the way you treat me, Mara," Luke said, the glee fading from his earnest blue gaze. "Don't change what you are."

"But as a Jedi?"

"Things will alter and, yes, there will be some changes. It is inevitable. But your essential spirit should not change." Luke beamed at her, a lazy heart-stopping smile.

"Saber practise tomorrow?" she enquired casually, wondering at the strange breathlessness she felt and why her heart was pounding so loudly inside her chest. "I went through those last exercises you gave me but I think I need more than just going through a set series of moves on my own. I need a sparring partner." She smiled back at him, her green eyes contrasting vividly against her creamy skin.

"I'll see if there's anyone available," Luke said, staring at her. Force, she was beautiful – why did this have to be so hard?

"Uh-uh, farmboy. You said you were ultimately responsible for my training. I want to fight with you."

"_Me_? You want to fight with me?" Luke's eyes went wide.

"I usually fight with you," she countered. "Often without a saber."

"Yes, but we kiss and make up afterwards." _Oh sith!_ Luke swore inwardly as the words left his mouth. Kiss. He couldn't think about kissing her. He had to think about more mundane things, not how her mouth had softened under his. He had to focus on training her and teaching her the ways of the Force. Luke dragged his mind back to where it should be and considered the current state of his treasured weapon. Perhaps if he worked on the lightsaber tonight he could have it ready to spar with Mara in the morning. At the moment he couldn't fight with a saber where the blade shorted out as soon as he extended it to its full length. Maybe he could suggest they both used practice sabers. Somehow he didn't think Mara would agree.

"Tomorrow, then." Mara's voice broke into his thoughts.

"You still want to kill me?" he said with a groan slumping back into the sofa cushions. She tilted her head to one side and Luke got the feeling she was seeing right through him. "Tomorrow…uh."

"I checked your timetable and you are free in the afternoon."

She hadn't reacted to his comment about kissing her and it was all that he could do not to just take her in his arms and do it again. "I am?" he said blankly. Of course he was but…

"Good. That's settled. Now what about my classes?"

"That depends on how you see yourself as a Jedi," Luke said carefully. He gave the impression of relaxation but there was an air of watchful tension in his eyes.

Mara nibbled at her lip and sighed. "I never could quite see myself as a Jedi - not until recently. Oh, I supposed it was there in my future if I wanted it to be." She gave a wry grin. "Rather presumptuous of me."

"Why would you say that?" he asked.

"I assumed I was invincible."

"None of us are that," Luke murmured. "But I know what you mean. There is point in your life that you realise you might not make it through this experience. This time you could die."

"Yes," she whispered. "That's exactly what happened. I got caught by one of the oldest traps in the field operative's handbook. I grew careless. I was too caught up in my own anger and pride and then there was no way out."

"Anger?" Luke questioned.

"One of my greatest failings," she admitted, her voice pained. "I was angry at Lando because he wanted more than I was willing to give and angry at Karrde for making me do something. I agreed to it but…" She sighed. "It's totally illogical but I decided that I could go to Elrood on my own without assistance. No Karrde and no Calrissian – just me and I failed. You had to risk your life and Solo's to come after me."

Luke sat up, his posture rigid. When Mara had arrived last night he had been too glad to see her and then too busy diffusing her anger but now… They'd made a promise. "Who told you?" he demanded, his face cold. "It wasn't Karrde – he promised not to say anything?"

Mara's eyes narrowed. "No, it wasn't Karrde - it was Lando. He wasn't too happy about the end of our arrangement and for some reason he's annoyed with you." She cocked an eyebrow at him but no explanations were forthcoming from the glowering man in front of her. "Luke?"

"Karrde?" he grated. "He has to have said something. Lando doesn't know everything."

"Karrde only opened up when I presented him with Calrissian's story." She slipped to the floor and knelt in front of him, her eyes glittering up into his. "But now that I've had time to think, I realise that I knew it was you all along. I heard your voice and felt your presence but I thought I was dreaming. What I can't understand is…?"

"Why I kept it from you?" Luke interrupted, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "I don't know why. It was a stupid idea but at the time I wasn't thinking too clearly." The expression on his face was bleak. "I suppose I didn't want you to remember what they had done to you."

"I don't…not really. I have memories of my actual abduction but after that I only have vague images. Karrde said that they kept me drugged until I was freed."

"I'm surprised you recall that much," Luke said. "That's why I didn't tell you. You'd been through enough. What you could not remember couldn't hurt you further. You were safe and regaining your health. What was the point of bringing it all back?"

"Oh, Luke," Mara breathed. His own pain at seeing the suffering she'd had to endure leached through his shields.

"Is that what has made you change your mind about your training?"

"Partly - but it is also the right time. This isn't a decision made on a whim or on a turn of a sabacc deck. I finally realised that it is time to move on from my current position. Luke…" she hesitated and then ploughed on. "The Force is calling me. I can feel it and I need it – the completeness."

"It is?" Luke clasped her hands with his own and the layers shifted somewhere in the depths of his mind. Yes, he could feel it through the Force. She was ready. "I _will_ tell you everything you want to know but not yet."

"Why not yet?" Mara demanded heatedly, her frustration showing. She wanted all this to be behind her – she wanted to concentrate on her future.

He turned his face away from her.

"Skywalker – why can't you tell me?"

His face when he turned back was filled with sorrow, the strain easy to read. "You are one of my best friends and I've lost so many over the years. I'm not quite ready to talk about it yet but I thought I was going to lose you forever. I don't know what I would do if you were lost to me."

Mara stared at him, willing to see past the reserve she could see in him. He was _still _hiding something from her but now she thought that she understood some of it. Her mood calmed. 'Patience, Jade,' she told herself. She would find out eventually but something told her she wouldn't learn anything at all if she pushed right now. A stray thought suddenly occurred. How would she feel if she lost Luke? What would she do if she never saw him again? "You…" Mara opened her mouth as fear gripped her. "I…"

"What?" Luke could sense a change in her emotions. "What's wrong, Mara?"

She shook her head. "Just thinking," she murmured, trying to calm herself. She would do her utmost to keep him safe. "How do you see my training progressing?" she asked, changing direction.

"Jedi training cannot be what it was in my father's and Obi-Wan Kenobi's day. We simply do not have enough knights to be able to train other Jedi one-on-one." Luke gave a deep sigh. "From what I've read, the teaching of young Force adepts was like any school system. Large classes following a set timetable until they reached a certain age."

"Adulthood?"

"No, I think it was much younger. Yoda always said that I was too old to begin my training."

"But you were only what…twenty?"

"About that age." Luke shifted into the corner of the sofa and patted the cushion beside him. "In the days of the Old Republic I would have been given to the Jedi as a baby."

"But that's barbaric!" Mara exclaimed.

"But you were taken by the Emperor as a child," Luke said quietly. "That's worse. The Jedi had the best of intentions. Obi-Wan and Yoda had no choice but to train me. I was the only one left."

"The only one," she repeated. "A heavy responsibility."

"I didn't think of it like that at the time," Luke said softly.

Mara rose thankfully from her knees and slid into the space on the sofa. "I'm feeling my legs after that little jaunt through the jungle you sent me on."

"Advanced fitness training needed," Luke said mockingly and winced as Mara poked him in the ribs.

"Ow! Jade!"

"You deserved it. Stop whining." She shifted against one of the cushions, squirming until she felt comfortable. "What happened to the young Jedi?"

"When they reached the correct age they were paired with one Master. From what I've read, all the texts say that was the normal procedure."

"I can see a problem already," Mara conceded. "Not enough of you."

"You've matched the sandperson with the correct bantha." Luke grinned. "Pity there's no prize for it."

"You don't need to be a Maw scientist to work that one out," Mara retorted pithily.

"Technically I'm only a temporary tutor here but I owe it to you to finish your training."

"Oh, come off it, Skywalker," Mara protested.

"It's true," he said.

"Rubbish. If you wanted to run the Academy, Kam would step aside immediately."

Luke's face was serious. "I would never ask him to do that."

"I know but I wouldn't have come if it hadn't been you who was to train me."

Luke couldn't stop the jolt of pleasure from running through him but he tried not to let his feelings show. "You could learn from anyone."

"You think so? I'm not so sure."

Luke leaned forward. "I am. You admitted it yourself – you are ready to learn…ready to complete the first part of your journey in the Force. You have learned so much already."

"Yes, but there is so much else I must learn. I'm not much good with feelings and I'm not good at letting my innermost secrets show."

"Who is?" asked Luke. "You've taken the first step by coming here with an open mind. You have worked on many of the skills a Jedi Knight needs and you already know where you are lacking."

"I've always tried to be honest with myself. I have perhaps never admitted it aloud but there are disciplines I will find hard to conquer."

"The most important lesson you have to learn is about the Force itself – how it interacts with the universe. How to explore your own Force ability and use it responsibly avoiding the temptations of the dark side." Luke's eyes were grave. "You have a very good grasp of this already. You served Palpatine without turning to the dark side."

"For that I am grateful." She thought a moment before musing slowly, "But why was I blind to his evil for so many years?"

"It was that blindness that kept you…pure, for want of a better word. You served Palpatine with devotion. You were not interested in power or dominance over other species. You wanted to show your loyalty to your master."

"Hindsight is a marvellous thing." Mara's smile was rueful.

"It is but I don't want to let hindsight make me miss supper."

"Skywalker!"

"I'm hungry," he said simply.

"Again?"

"I'm always hungry."

"Then we'd better get you fed."


	24. Part 24

**The Emerald Price Chapter 24**

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**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you? My thanks also to Niqella and Rhea for their encouragement and invaluable suggestions.

**Yavin IV**

The red gas giant Yavin could be seen dominating the sky as it began to darken, the green vegetation of its fourth moon a strong contrast with its lush and verdant growth. Dotted about the surface of the planet were the many temples to whatever archaic Gods the Massassi tribes had once worshipped. Now many of these ancient structures housed those living and learning in Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy. All the Jedi – and most of the galaxy - thought of it as Luke's, even though Kam Solusar had been running the school for well over a year.

Luke ushered Mara from the temple block where his quarters were situated and waved the door shut behind them.

"So," Mara said as she strolled slowly with Luke towards the main building housing the refectory. "My timetable? We've done a lot of talking but haven't decided anything. You don't strike me as someone in favour of procrastination."

"Plenty of time," Luke replied, his manner distracted as he ducked underneath a low hanging branch.

Mara frowned and swept the same branch away with an impatient hand. "I would like to know," she persisted.

"Patience," Luke said, his concentration fixed upon the tantalising aroma of the evening meal which wafted towards their noses.

"Patience," Mara echoed. "Yeah, yeah. This is so typical of you, Skywalker. I'm going to get nothing useful from you until you've been fed."

Luke sighed and stopped walking, turning to face her. "Patience is something I had to learn and is essential to the life of a Jedi Knight."

"And?" Mara was not impressed.

"So is food – I need to refuel." Luke had to quash a smile. He wasn't Yoda and Mara's irreverence was wonderfully refreshing. "And…?"

"And I don't intend to waste my time being idle."

"I don't think I've ever seen you busy-doing-nothing," Luke said with a chuckle, his eyes glinting wickedly in the fading daylight. Mara was so radically different from any of the other Jedi initiates on Yavin IV. None of the other students would dare to argue with him or make fun of him. He could be himself - Jedi or farmboy - none of it made any difference to Mara.

"I don't _do_ nothing," Mara growled, suspicious of his good humour. "I came here to be trained."

"Once you make your decision you are very single-minded about it," he commented. "It's nice to be so certain."

"What makes you think that I am so certain?" Mara fixed the Jedi Master with her trademark glare. "I thought you _wanted _me to come and train with you."

"I did and I do." Luke stepped closer and placed his hand upon her shoulder. "It's actually very important to me."

"I know," Mara whispered. "It's important to me too. I should have come here earlier."

"Ten years ago perhaps?" Luke smiled gently and shook his head. "No."

"Perhaps not," she supposed thoughtfully. "I just know that I should have had the courage to face my fears far earlier than I did. I was wrong about a lot of things but…"

"I don't ever want to hear you saying to me that you lack courage because that simply isn't true. You weren't ready before," Luke said quietly. "I understand and I'm sorry for all the times I pressured you. I just wanted you to claim what was so rightfully yours."

"And that is?"

"Your place as a Jedi Knight. Your strength solidified in the Force where it should have been long ago had Palpatine not denied you your birthright."

"The Emperor did not want me to have independence of thought and strength in the Force. He wanted me to be a subservient puppet. Just like…"

"My father?" Luke wasn't surprised by her words. "Vader threw off his shackles in the end. He came back to the good side. The Force forgave him what he had done."

"That is in the past as is my servitude to the Emperor," Mara said with a fatality she did not know that she possessed. "I have to move forward to a new future. I'm ready to do this."

"You've come a long way, Mara," Luke said gazing into her eyes.

"We both have," she whispered. It was so difficult not to be caught in the snare that was Luke Skywalker.

Luke gathered himself together with difficulty. He could have stood there forever and stared into her beautiful face. "You must be hungry?"

Mara opened her mouth and shut it again. "Hungry?" she queried, gazing into the vivid colour of his blue eyes.

"Mara…" Luke's voice trailed away. He could feel the Force pulsing between them. He still hadn't discussed the extra-ordinary link that had formed between them. It could be a difficult topic but as Vader had proved to be a barrier for Luke to cross, Palpatine and the effect he had on her life was going to be a major issue for Mara.

She stared around her as if she'd never been in the ornamental garden in front of the main praxium complex before.

"I told you I was hungry." Luke tried to break the heady spell that was forming between them and bring things back to the mundane. If he didn't do that, he would forget everything and kiss her.

"So you did." Mara could only gape as Luke turned on his heel and marched across the short, well manicured lawn to the entrance.

"They stop serving in ten minutes. Are you coming?"

"Coming? Where?" Mara was so bemused by his presence that she didn't know where she was or where she was going.

"To eat, Jade."

The Jedi Academy refectory was to be found inside one the larger temple buildings, once the home of the Rebellion during its darkest hours. Mara tugged at her cloak as she followed Luke inside. She hadn't really needed it on her short walk. Yavin IV's climate tended to be hot and humid but Luke had dressed himself in his full Jedi blacks including his cloak and Mara didn't want to walk into a full dining room at his side not looking the part of his new Jedi apprentice. She was nervous, she admitted to herself. Inside the building, however, it was dark and cool with torches guiding the way towards the dining room and thankfully, Mara hugged her cloak around her.

"Most of the controls are now Force activated. It is a good exercise for the students," he commented quietly as he passed his hand over a symbol affixed to the wall and a door slid aside. He didn't notice that the conversation died down as he and Mara walked in together. Luke's presence on Yavin was always exciting for the students but Mara's presence had stirred up even more interest. She had a glamorous and dangerous reputation and her recent notoriety on the holonet because of her affair with Lando Calrissian had many of the Jedi curious.

Tionne gave her husband a look and Kam nodded. Luke and Mara had walked in side by side and everything in the whole Academy was suddenly different. There was a kind of electricity in the air – an excitement that hadn't been there before.

Kam exhaled slowly. For the first time in possibly years, his Master looked happy and that pleased him but also worried him. Corran Horn, who knew both Luke and Mara well, had said very little but had indicated that Mara was the reason behind many of Luke's actions. What did the enigmatic woman with the red-gold hair and striking green eyes think of that?

Mara could feel the curious eyes upon her as she collected her tray and headed to the serving hatch. She was used to people looking at her and making up their minds about her before they got to know who she was. "Skywalker," she hissed.

"What?" Luke accepted a plate from the droid.

"I can't sit with you."

"You usually do," Luke whispered back. "Do you want water or fruit juice?"

"Water," she muttered. "This is different," she said.

"Why different?" Luke handed her a glass of water.

"I'm here to train," she snapped quietly. "You are the Jedi Master."

"I'm one of the Jedi Masters," Luke said pouring himself a glass of fruit juice. "Kam and Streen are also Masters."

Mara sighed. Was he always this obtuse? "I'm here to train with you, Skywalker. I'm not here as a civilian dropping supplies, or even as a friend. I'm here as a student."

"And?" Luke still couldn't see that it might prove to be a problem.

"And nothing." Mara gave him a fierce glare and began to scan the crowded room for a single seat. Normally she didn't care what people thought of her but this was to be her new life and she wanted to be accepted as part of the Jedi.

"Mara…"

"Ssh!" She spotted a pale green hand waving at her and breathed a sigh of relief. "B'Nera D'ewal has an empty place next her."

"B'Nera?" Luke's face fell. "I thought you could have sat with me."

"I'm staying in your apartment. I'm training with you. What more do you want?"

Luke's face suddenly blanked itself of all expression. "What I want is immaterial," he said, his voice brusque.

"Luke…" Mara didn't understand him being so obtuse. Force preserve her from Skywalker and his mood swings. "I will meet you outside after dinner." She picked up her tray and turned towards B'Nera's table. "I am a Jedi apprentice and you are a Master. It would look as if I thought myself above the other Jedi if I sat with you and the other Knights."

"But the Jedi do not think that way," Luke protested.

"Of course they do. Notice the trained Knights are sitting together and all the students are together. Besides," she grinned. "I want to get to know other Jedi. Not just you."

Luke could see her point even if he didn't like it. It was selfish of him to want to monopolise her time. "Of course," he muttered apologetically. "I wasn't thinking."

"I'll see you after dinner and then can we please sort out my timetable?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Luke gave a wry grin and headed towards Kam.

Mara approached the table where B'Nera D'ewal was sitting. "Can I?"

"Of course." The Twi'lek waved her hand around at the various beings sitting in front of her as Mara slid into her seat. "I'll do some introductions. I hear you'll be joining some of our classes."

Mara blinked. "News travels fast," she said.

"You have no idea," the very deep voice of a young male human said laughingly. "Even out here. I'm Pod Nor."

"Mara Jade."

"I think we all know who you are," remarked a quiet voice.

Mara turned her head and found herself looking at a species she couldn't recall having seen for a very long time. "I didn't know the Nazzar were permitted to become Jedi."

"Ix Io," the humanoid remarked. He was tall, covered with a dark grey fur and thin equine-like facial features. "I felt the call of the Force and could not deny its pull. I am not welcome now on my home planet. I am an outcast."

"I'm sorry," Mara said.

"It doesn't matter – I have accepted it. The galaxy is a fascinating place and I have learned many things."

Mara stared at him. "It wasn't an easy decision for you to make, was it?"

"No," Ix Io said. "It was not - but there comes a time when you have to be with others of your own kind."

"Yes," Mara said, her eyes straying to where Luke sat chatting to Kam Solusar and Streen. "That I can understand."

B'Nera held up a hand. "This is the senior class table. Only Groet is missing tonight. He's on duty in the com centre. Much to the disappointment of fair Dilys."

"Do you have to tell the whole galaxy?" asked a pretty fair-haired human female sitting next to B'Nera. "The only one who doesn't know how I feel about him is Groet and that's only because he's not here."

Mara grinned. "It usually takes time for a man to understand that a woman is interested." Again her eyes travelled to the location of the Jedi Master.

"Was that how it was for you and Lando Calrissian?" Dilys asked eagerly. "He's very handsome."

"And he knows it." Mara frowned at the mention of the former administrator of Bespin. "No, it was not," she admitted shortly. "I'm not seeing him."

"Not seeing him – is it over between you?"

Ix Io leaned forward, sensing the mood coming from the red-headed woman was darkening. "I get the impression all is not well, Dilys. I suggest you try another topic of conversation. Mistress Jade should be allowed to have her privacy."

"No, it's alright," Mara said slowly, surprised to find that is _was_ alright. "I suppose it will be common knowledge soon. There is nothing, only friendship, between Calrissian and me. Our arrangement ended some time ago. The holo-journalists haven't caught onto it yet." She looked across at the shadowed eyes of the Nazzar. "And my name is Mara."

"You're _not _seeing him any more - aren't you? How tragic for you."

"Tragic!" Mara choked back a startled laugh, her mood switching to outright amusement. "I suspect it was more of a relief than a tragedy. We were not suited."

The look on the young woman's face was wretched. "I apologise for my tongue. I can never say the right things. I just open my mouth without thinking and look what happens. I'm not destined to become a Jedi Diplomat, am I?"

Pod Nor shook his head. "Don't think so. I would stick to the healing arts. You're good at that."

"A healer?" Mara asked.

"So Master Streen says."

"That's very rare," Mara said, glad to have some of the limelight directed away from her.

"I hope to go to Mon Calamari once I have finished here," Dilys confided.

"To work with Cilghal?" queried Mara. "The art of healing is one of the rarest of the Jedi skills." She listened to the cheerful chatter and wondered if she felt old just because these students hadn't seen all the darkness that she had. She lifted her eyes from her plate when she felt someone watching her.

Ix Io gave her a nod. "Experience has to be learned and that takes time. Dilys did not mean…"

"Yes, I know. Calrissian and I had an arrangement. I did not love him and was glad our close association was over." Mara gave a rueful smile. "You are very persuasive, Ix Io," Mara said. "I don't open up to people easily." She turned her head and caught Luke's blue gaze. "If you will excuse me?"

"Master Skywalker requires your presence."

"Why…yes."

Luke sat down beside Kam. "Hi," he murmured and began to eat with gusto.

"Mara?"

"Wants to get to know some of the students and pointed out, quite rightly, that this time she is here to train." He scowled. "I wanted to talk to her but no, I'm a Jedi Master and she's a Jedi initiate." He turned his head to look for her bright hair amongst the rest of the students.

"It's only at dinner we eat like this. You can sit with her tomorrow during breakfast or even at lunch." Kam's mouth twitched with amusement at the idea of a conventional Mara Jade as he watched his friend and colleague sulking across from him. For a moment Kam thought he could see the look of a jealous schoolboy. "She wants to get to know them. Good for her although the senior class are light years away from Mara. Only Ix Io has the depth and experience…"

"I sometimes wish I could keep experiences away from them, Kam. I don't want them to go through what we went through."

"But they will. Life will scar them only too quickly. Ix Io is older than you, Luke, and B'Nera is not far behind."

"I know but they are young in other ways. They need more than being on Yavin IV. It's too safe here. We can tell them and show them all we want but in the end they must experience life for themselves."

Kam stared down towards the senior students. "Dilys Van Osten is showing all the traits of a healer and we are planning to send her out with Cilghal next year. There is no way she is ready to go out on her own. Another route for her…and I think she's very keen to do this… would be to actually take a medical degree."

"The Manarai would take her in conjunction with one of the Coruscant medical schools if I asked them," Luke said thoughtfully.

"You've brought them enough business over the years."

"Have you been having words with my sister?" Luke said. "She thinks I have shares in the building and in the bacta tank construction industry."

"Horn let slip that you'd been visiting the Manarai after your last little jaunt," Kam murmured. "What was it this time?"

Luke's blue eyes widened. "Don't go saying that too loudly," he said, glancing across the room to where Mara could be seen in conversation with the seniors. "I picked up a virus in the Outer Rim which could be nasty if left untreated and I was tired so I couldn't fight it off the way I usually do." His mouth closed, his lips a flat line. "I don't want to talk about it."

Tionne rolled her pearly eyes and decided to push the subject back onto the students and away from Luke's regular occupation of a bacta tank and a medical flotation bed. "Pod Nor and Ix Io will probably join Kyle Katarn - if he can be persuaded to take them with him. He was admitting he could do with some help."

Luke paused. "He's finally admitting it? Good." He looked across at the two students in question. "They would be of some help to Katarn. Both of them have the potential to become excellent Jedi Knights.

Kam pushed his plate away. "Have you decided on what Mara is going to do here, Luke?"

"Complete her training and then hopefully she can accompany me on some missions before being able to go out on her own." He gave a little groan. "It sounds so simple, doesn't it? But unlike Pod Nor, B'Nera and the others, she is battle hardened."

Streen leaned forward. "She's a warrior like you are, Master Skywalker. It's a good match."

There was a startled look of surprise on Luke's handsome face. "Er…yeah – a good match. Mara was trained to fight as I was. But it's not all going to be so easy – she's been rather reluctant to appropriate the more philosophical aspects of our Jedi life into her way of thinking. I haven't read so much since I first acquired the set of information discs from Mother Rell on Dathomir. Mara Jade has the intelligence to twist all my theories into such a spin that I'll never get them straight again."

Kam could see the eager anticipation on the other Jedi's face. 'He's looking forward to it,' he thought. 'I can't remember the last time I saw Luke so enthusiastic about anything.'

Luke finished his meal and drained the last of his fruit juice. "I'd better go, he stared across the room and caught Mara's gaze.

_"I'll see you back at my quarters," _he sent to her. She gave a quick nod. As ever their connection through the Force was instantaneous.

He smiled at Kam. "I need to discuss Mara's timetable with her tonight."

"But I thought you did that earlier," Kam said.

"Got sidetracked," Luke mumbled.

Mara left the refectory with the other students and after wishing them farewell wandered into the outer courtyard to find Luke waiting for her. A strange feeling came over her as she saw him. It was that same feeling she got when he smiled at her or when he was near and especially when he touched her.

"Hey, farmboy," she murmured.

"Jade," he replied in an exchange so typical of them both. "Shall we?"

"Of course."

They fell into step together and headed back to Luke's quarters by a longer route.

"What do I need to do?" Mara asked after they had walked silently for several minutes through the garden away from the main complex.

"You need to learn how the Force interacts with the universe around you. How you explore your connection with the Force, expand your awareness of what surrounds you. It's a lifetime commitment but I don't need to tell you that." He smiled. "You already know so much that you probably don't realise how much…"

"Ten years ago you gave me your trust and your friendship," Mara said, her face serious. "I began to relearn many things."

"You helped me to understand many things too," Luke acknowledged. "I don't know what I could have become if you hadn't been there to keep me straight. You have a sound mind and clear judgement. You are not swayed by trivialities and can keep your head in a crisis. That skill is above jewels. You have acted as my conscience, perhaps unknowingly, but your opinion has always been important to me."

"I was trained to fight by Palpatine, Luke. It was you who showed me the true way of the Force."

"You can already use the Force responsibly. I didn't show you that."

"Oh, but you did. I had never come across anyone like you and on Myrkr…" She turned away from him, her hand reaching out to stroke the velvety petal of a deep pink flower. "On Myrkr you managed to outwit the Empire even without the Force."

"That was luck," Luke grinned. "Although don't quote me on it, especially to the other students." His face sobered as he voiced his thoughts aloud. "You are less likely to be tempted to the dark side, as I was…"

"I think no one is totally safe from the dark side. My anger is still strong. I can be prideful and I do feel its seductive power. I can be tempted by it but I must not fall – I _will_ not fall. To make sure, I must learn to have more control."

Luke couldn't believe the strength of mind the woman at his side exhibited. She was truly remarkable. She had a sense of honour that would keep her spirit pure from the taint of darkness. Or at least that was what he hoped. Her anger and feelings of betrayal still drove her far too close to the dark.

They returned to their quarters and Luke made caf for them both before settling on the comfortable cushions of his sofa.

"What kind of Jedi do you hope to become, Mara?" Luke asked, his blue eyes watchful.

"The best one that I can," she answered. "The Force will steer me along the correct path."

"Trust in the Force and it will guide you."

"I do listen to its promptings, Luke, but sometimes it is hard to hear what it is saying to me."

He nodded. "A Jedi learns to use the Force to aid, warn, defend and heal. They use it to keep peace and order but must never forget to listen. I am a warrior but I try to avoid the fight. Sometimes the smallest things give the greatest help."

"By preparing for war you can sometimes maintain the peace?"

"Exactly," Luke sighed. "With power comes temptation. The Force is not an easy way out."

"I never thought it was." Mara gave a tired yawn. "When has anything ever been easy for us, Skywalker?"

"I don't know." Luke's hands curved around his mug and he gave a bittersweet smile. "When I first landed on Dagobah, Yoda found me. He asked why I was there and I told him that I was looking for a great warrior. He gave that little wheezing chuckle and told me that 'wars do not make one great.' He was right."

"I've seen holos of him. He doesn't fit the expected vision of a Jedi Master."

"There shouldn't be an expected vision. I've read so much recently and there were many species of Jedi."

"You haven't forgotten our saber fight tomorrow."

Luke mentally groaned. "Of course."

"After lunch?"

"Yes." Luke felt that he had to say something to fill the silence. "There are classes on Jedi history. Tionne is expecting you there first thing tomorrow morning in the intermediate class. Followed by a session on saber work…" Luke arched one eyebrow at her. "I know you are proficient with the saber but these exercises are really good for solo practice or as a warm-up before a sparring match."

"Sure," Mara said.

"And Jade…"

"What?"

Luke indicated a shelf of holobooks. "I would start reading some of these."

"Of course." The expression on Mara's face showed her doubt. "Any one in particular?" she asked.

Luke ran his finger along the shelves. "Try this one," he suggested. "It's nothing too heavy. Merely collected tales of deeds done. These belong to me but there are more in the library. Tionne has worked hard to find much of the information contained there."

"Don't be modest, farmboy. I suspect you've done just as much of the collecting - if not more." She gave another yawn.

"Go and rest, Jade. I'll see you tomorrow."

Mara stared at her chrono. "Force," she muttered. "It's late. Goodnight, Skywalker."

"Goodnight." Luke watched her as she stood up, stretched and then paused as if she was about to say something. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Mara gave him a look he couldn't decipher and moved wearily to her bedchamber.

Once the door had clicked shut behind her, Luke made his way to his workbench and pulled back the cloth covering his saber. It was time to see if he could do something about this before tomorrow. Although he wondered why he was so desperate to complete his saber. He could fight with a training saber as well as he could with his real one. Even as he thought it, he had to disagree with this last concept. A saber was more to a Jedi than just a weapon. Luke Skywalker's saber could almost be said to be symbiotic with its wielder.

With a crash that seemed to echo around the entire room, Pod Nor hit the floor and lay still. Only the rise and fall of his chest indicated that he was still alive. With a groan that came from deep inside his battered body, Pod Nor opened his eyes and stared up at the vaulted ceiling of the exercise hall. "I give," he submitted, his voice hoarse.

Breathing heavily, Mara stepped away from his downed figure and rubbed her hands down the front of her grey work-out tunic. There was an awkward silence, mixed emotions from the other Jedi students buffeting Mara's shields. "Here." Mara held out her hand and pulled the younger man into a seated position.

Kirana Ti wondered, not for the first time, if it was wise to have Mara Jade as a student on Yavin IV. But she was here now and they all had to deal with it. "Don't you think you were a little excessive Mara?" she said carefully.

Mara smiled coldly as she straightened and faced the rest of the class. "No."

"No?" the Dathomerian witch questioned. "You almost took him apart."

Mara held up her hand. "But I didn't take him apart. He'll live." She directed a look towards the other woman, her green eyes flashing dangerously. "He'll live this time – the next…" She shrugged. "Who can say?"

"Your point being?" Ix Io stepped forward from his position as a spectator.

"Not everyone is in favour of the return of the Jedi Order. Not everyone wants to see peace returned to the galaxy." Mara grimaced. "I recently went on a trip for my boss to the Outer Rim and I nearly didn't come back."

Kirana Ti lifted her head and gave Mara a hard stare. She hadn't known that. "What happened?"

"I was attacked and I was lucky to survive and I fought a hundred times harder than I did today. The galaxy is not a training exercise. Being part of the Jedi is not some safe little game. I've been out there on the edge and I've seen things that you, safe on this world, do not."

"I see." Kirana watched as Mara knelt in front of Pod Nor and held out her hand.

"I did not intend to humiliate you. It could have been the other way around and I would have been the one hitting the mat. You are not ready for the galaxy yet. None of you are good enough."

"But the galaxy is at peace," B'Nera said quietly, the truth of Mara's words hitting home. "We should not need to be so…"

"Skilled? Parts of the galaxy are peaceful but that could change at any moment. The future is always in motion and all that?" Mara raised an eyebrow. "It could change. Most of the galaxy suits itself if it is far enough away from the Core. You cannot depend on law and order being everywhere or the word 'Jedi' to make people leave you alone. The Jedi are not invincible."

"I have to agree with you," Kirana Ti admitted. She looked at the red-head with a new grudging respect. Luke had said that Mara would be ready to train if she arrived on Yavin IV.

"I am sorry," Mara said to Pod Nor as she grasped his hand and pulled him to his feet.

"It's okay," he mumbled, gingerly feeling his jaw. "Lesson learned. Arrogance and overconfidence…"

"No." Mara shook her head. "You are very good but you need to be better. You have the potential to become one of the best fighters I have come across. You've just never met me in combat before…or Skywalker."

"Master Skywalker?" Dilys breathed, hero worship colouring her voice.

"Can fight as dirty as a cornered womprat."

"No!" B'Nera gasped.

"Yes." Mara was definite. "He would cheat to win, too. Rules don't always work in a life or death situation."

Kirana Ti's mouth dropped open and hastily she stifled a smile. Mara was presenting a different picture of Luke to the students. Suddenly she had an idea and wondered if it hadn't been Luke's intention all along. "Perhaps, Mara, you would occasionally like to teach this class?"

"Teach _this_ class," Mara echoed.

"Yes, why not? If the rest of the class are willing? You have both the experience and the motivation to help the others improve their skills."

"Count me in." Pod Nor immediately spoke up, his dark eyes twinkling. "I would like to lie flat on the mat a little less next time."

"Yes." Ix Io's long face nodded.

"Count me in," said B'Nera.

"Dilys?" Kirana Ti knew that this was an area where the budding healer was at her weakest.

"You have to learn to defend yourself," Mara said quietly. "Suppose you need to get past someone or something to get to a patient?" She changed tactics and asked, "You do lightsaber drill?"

"Yes, I do lightsaber drill," the blond girl said.

"Are you planning to go around cutting off limbs?" Mara tried to inject a note of humour into her words.

"The lightsaber is a discipline for the mind and body…" Dilys began to spout the words Mara had heard so often.

"Of course, it is but suppose you lost your saber?" Kirana interjected. "You would let yourself be killed because you could not defend yourself?"

"I wouldn't let myself be killed," Dilys protested and then let her head drop. "I would, wouldn't I?"

Kirana Ti nodded. "Yes."

"Then I guess I would like to learn if Mara Jade would help me?"

"Of course." She turned to Kirana Ti. "You know, this is Skywalker's doing."

"The Dathomerian witch chuckled. "Probably. Dilys, take Pod Nor to the infirmary to get that jaw looked at."

"It's not broken," Dilys confirmed. "Just bruised." She grinned. "Or it will be tomorrow."

"I'm going to be one big bruise tomorrow," Pod Nor complained.

Kirana Ti smiled wickedly. "It will be a test of your powers of self-healing then, won't it?"

Mara watched as the students gathered their belongings and headed out of the exercise hall leaving Mara alone with Kirana Ti. "You don't approve of me being here?" Mara decided to get everything into the open.

"I didn't say that." Kirana Ti was defensive.

"You didn't have to", Mara said steadily. "You told me yourself. I can read people better than most. It has kept me alive."

The Jedi felt ashamed. She had no right to have such an attitude. None of the Singing Mountain Clan on Dathomir could afford to be self-righteous about anything. They had to live with the dark side – often in the shape of a loved one turned into a nightsister. "I apologise."

Mara picked up her lightsaber which was lying on one of the benches at the side of the room and affixed it to its customary position on her belt. They would never be friends but they could respect one another and that was enough for Mara. "I'd better go, Knight Ti. I have a lightsaber workout with Skywalker…"

"Master Skywalker," Kirana Ti corrected.

"Whatever," Mara muttered.

The large exercise hall was empty. Dropping his cloak and then pulling off his tunic, Luke placed the two training sabers in the centre of the arena and waited. She was late! He checked his wrist chrono. No, she wasn't late - he was impatient.

Stifling his frustration at both his failure to complete his lightsaber to his satisfaction and his exasperation with his own impatience, he moved into a series of warm-up exercises. The saber was much improved but he didn't think it would stand a proper test yet. It was almost as if he was missing something else – something obvious.

Mara peered through the door and caught her breath. Luke Skywalker stretched each muscle, his body firm. Balancing on one leg, he extended the other in the air like a dancer. She felt her mouth go dry and the sharp sting of arousal sweep through her. "Force," she breathed. Taking a step away from the door, she slumped against the wall of the corridor, her eyes closed and her hand unconsciously seeking the emerald jewel she still carried in her pocket.

The vision this time was infinitely more disturbing. Two sparsely clothed bodies wrapped around each other in a dance she recognised. The images played beneath her eyelids, leaving her breathless and flushed - almost as if she'd already fought or...

"Mara…" the voice was insistent. "Mara!"

She opened her eyes and found herself staring into the anxious face of the only man in the entire galaxy she could ever love. As she gazed into his face, she immediately erected shields around that love. This wasn't something she could fully confront in that instant.

"I felt your…" Luke wasn't sure what he had felt. 'Distress' seemed to be the wrong word. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I just…" Mara stared at him. Had she really been doing _that_ with Skywalker? She pushed herself away from the wall and strode into the room, her cheeks warm. Luke followed her – a bewildered expression on his face.

"We don't have to fight today…" he began to say.

"I'm fine…I saw something."

"What did you see?"

"It's not important," she lied. "Just surprising that's all." But was it really so surprising, she wondered. Could it ever happen and did she want it to? She shook her head to clear away the lingering vision. "I'm okay," she said. "Like you, I see things from time to time. Sometimes they happen - other times…"

"They do not," Luke finished.

"Yeah. Future and motion and all that." She pulled the top off her water bottle and took a swig, not noticing how Luke's eyes traced the line of her slender figure, the graceful curve of her neck and her head tilted back, the bottle touching her lips.

Luke had to find something to occupy his hands. Force! He knew that falling in love with Mara Jade was one of the easiest things he'd ever done but having to let her remain unaware of how he felt was surely one of the most difficult.


	25. Part 25

**The Emerald Price Chapter 25**

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**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you? My thanks also to Niqella and Rhea for their encouragement and invaluable suggestions.

Mara stripped off her tunic, leaving her clad in her work-out clothes. Luke suppressed a groan. She was wearing a dark blue cropped top which left her trim midriff bare and a pair of clinging black undershorts. He'd seen her in less – her swimming costume, for example, or the skimpy outfit the slavers had put her in - but he was finding it harder and harder to keep his mind on what he was supposed to be doing.

A Jedi Master should not yield to his hormones even when the object of his disquiet was standing before him. He could regard it as another test from the Force but none of the other trials he'd had to get through had looked anything like Mara. Luke resolved to add that to the Jedi Code and wondered what the rest of the Academy staff would think of the addition.

With a malicious grin on her face, she strapped her belt around her slim waist and hung her lightsaber from it. "Here goes, Skywalker," Mara said and her saber flew off her belt and into her hand.

"I thought we could use these practice sabers – since you are now a Jedi apprentice," Luke said with a casual smile.

Pretending confusion but not fooled in the least, Mara stared at Luke. "_Practice sabers! _Where's your own lightsaber?" she asked. "Why should I use a practice saber when I'm used to this one. I'm not a child, Skywalker. We've never used these toys before. Why start now?"

"Humour me," Luke said.

"Suppose I'm not in the mood to 'humour you'," she returned, a glint lighting up her green eyes. "Where's your own saber?"

"In my quarters. It needs a little fine tuning." Luke frowned. Mara was up to something. He could feel it through their bond even though both of them were shielding overtime. Over the last few years Luke had begun to find that he could hide things from Leia but could never fool Mara for very long.

"It does…eh?" Mara's saber flew into her hand and ignited it. The blue blade crackled and hissed in her hands as she moved into a graceful series of moves.

Luke could only stand and stare, entranced by the woman he loved as she spun and leapt across the exercise hall. "Mara!" he called.

She came to a sudden halt, shut the saber down and returned it to her belt. "A training saber," she drawled as she walked back up the exercise hall to stand before him. "Is that because you lost part of yours?"

"What?" Luke felt a shiver run up his spine.

Mara took a step closer, almost invading his personal space. "Your saber doesn't work and hasn't worked since you came for me on Elrood," she stated.

"It does work," Luke shot back.

Mara raised an eyebrow. "Prove it," she challenged.

"It does work," he repeated, his mouth only inches from hers. "Just not quite as I want it to," he finished lamely. "How do you…?"

"How do I know?" Mara completed his question. "I know because…" She let her words tail off and dug into her pocket.

Luke felt something quiver in the Force between them. "Just tell me," he said, his voice low. "Please, Mara."

"This happens every time I…"

"What happens?"

Mara took a deep breath, preparing herself for the inevitable slew of images that she would see as soon as her fingers came into contact with the emerald crystal. Her fingers touched the multifaceted edges of the jewel and Luke's face went white. This time neither of their shields were strong enough to keep out the pictures that assaulted them.

Moving together, Luke and Mara clung to one another, sinking to their knees onto the ground until the whirling visions stopped and they tried to make sense of what they had experienced.

A man dressed in a richly glowing fabric, held a captive, red-haired woman close to his body, his hands running over her scantily clad form as if he owned her. The woman struggled to free herself but could not and struck out at him, her hand connecting hard with the side of his face. A thin rivulet of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. But instead of anger, he laughed; his eyes a cold wintry silver as he lowered his head to kiss her.

Luke put his head in his hands. "Sith," he mumbled. The secret was out in its entirety. Mara was too sharp not to know what the vision meant. But he couldn't understand how and why these visions were occurring.

Mara stared hard at Luke as comprehension dawned. "That was you? I remember lashing out - anything to get free but very little else. I only knew that I felt safe for the first time in a long while," Mara whispered, disbelief written on her face. "I've been dreaming about this man – he seemed so familiar but I never associated him with you." As her mind ran over the events she realised that the kiss hadn't been a perfunctory peck. Lips clung and softened; she had kissed him back, her body starting to burn for his and he had not been immune. "Why didn't you just tell me everything from the beginning?"

"I don't know. I had to get you out of there. I was playing a part," Luke said gravely, lifting his head, his eyes finally meeting hers, pain evident in their blue depths. "It was the only way to get close enough. I hoped you might have recognised my presence but you were too ill by then."

Mara moved in closer to the Jedi Master, needing the comfort that only he could provide. He was only partly wrong - she hadn't recognised him…but her body had.

Luke curved his arm around her shoulders and drew her close into his side. "It's over now. You can move on, Mara. It's time to forget all about it."

"I can't." Mara shook her head and, stretching out her hand, she uncurled her trembling fingers. "This belongs to you," she said softly. The emerald crystal glittered on her palm as if it were alive. "This is why I know."

Luke gasped. "How…where?"

"The Force?"

Luke pulled her until she was facing him, his hands moving to her shoulders. "Where did you get this?"

"Aaris III. Here…take it. It belongs to you."

But Luke made no move to do so. "You went back there?" his tone was incredulous.

"I obtained this from the hand of the being responsible for my capture," Mara returned proudly.

Luke's face stiffened.

"I didn't kill him…not intentionally," she babbled when she saw the look on Luke's face. "He fired on me…wanted to take me prisoner again. I found my lightsaber in my hand and blocked the bolt. I didn't even think about what I was doing. It was automatic." Mara turned her head away. She couldn't bear to see his disappointment.

"You returned to face him and he faced the consequences of his violence." Luke's face went even paler as he thought about the danger under which she had placed herself. He was ashen under his tan. "You've got guts,, Mara but then I always recognised that you were one of the bravest beings I knew." She'd faced such dangers in the past but that was before he had known her and loved her.

He wasn't upset by what she had done. He'd been worried about her safety. "No…that was not my intent," she explained earnestly. "I would have been quite happy never to see any of them again but I had to see where I'd been held. I tried to remember what had happened to me but it was all a blank and then I felt this…" She shivered. "I felt cold."

"The cold feeling of evil," Luke said.

"The slave lord had returned to his damaged headquarters probably to collect his most valuable possessions. He wanted to take me prisoner again and said things I did not understand although it is clear now what he meant. You posed as some Outer Rim prince and paid for me with your lightsaber crystal. You took the heart out of your lightsaber for me." Mara's voice shook as she suddenly understood the enormity of what Luke had done for her. He had risked his life for her. No one had ever paid her such a great honour.

"It was the only thing of value that I had," he said simply, naked pain on his face. "And you are worth more to me than I could ever say. I could make another crystal. In fact I _have_ made another crystal – I just didn't do it quite right. A Jedi Master who makes mistakes," Luke admitted rather wryly. "But you are unique. There can never be another you." Luke shifted restlessly under her intent regard before continuing. "I couldn't fight my way out. You were unconscious and the place was too well guarded – there were too many lives at stake. I had to find another way."

"So you walked in and took me from under their noses."

"Right in front of their noses actually," Luke said with a hint of pride. "I nearly gave Han and Feenus heart failure."

"Feenus?"

"Former friend of Han's from his Imperial days. Feenus and his wife were a big help getting you out. They run the Anti-Slavers coalition the New Republic is so keen to have on their side when they talk to the Elrood Sector governments"

"You sound as if you liked her." Mara felt a stab of jealousy as she heard the warmth in Luke's voice as he spoke about the other woman.

"I did. Altra Adremetis was a nice lady. I think you would have got on well with her."

"And you bought me." Mara's eyes narrowed.

"Uh…yes."

There was an awkward silence as they both sought to get their thoughts under control. Mara held out her hand and the jewel glittered as if it were alive, something vital flickering in its depths. "Your crystal."

"Paying me back?"

Regaining my freedom," she said shortly.

"Are any of us free?" Luke queried. "You've always been free in my eyes, Mara. Of course, I could hold you to it and say that I bought you for the Jedi. What good is that now? You can pay me back as you are holding your price in your own hand. You could walk away any time you wanted to. I have no hold over you."

Mara knew differently. 'You do,' she thought. 'More than you could ever know.' "And the kiss?" Mara flushed. She hadn't meant to mention that.

A strange hunted expression crossed Luke's face. "The kiss?" he croaked. "It was an act," he muttered, waves of emotion flowing through his shields.

Mara frowned, hiding her disappointment. Part of her had hoped that he had meant that first kiss. So the first one had been an act and the second an accident but she knew they had both felt something. Could she get him to kiss her a third time? He was still hiding from her and if she'd wanted to she could have found out what was bothering him but found herself afraid of what she might discover. "Your crystal, farmboy?"

Luke reached out and closed his hand over Mara's. His hand was warm, strong and a little rough – the calluses speaking of his early life on the moisture farm, time with the Rebellion filled with meeting physical challenges and many hours spent wielding a lightsaber. "Keep it," he said, his voice husky. "I've made another one."

"But it doesn't work," Mara countered.

"It will."

"I'll keep it until I become a Jedi Knight," Mara stated. "Then you can have it back."

"It's a deal."

"Now you're talking like a trader." She stared into his eyes and moistened her dry lips. Luke's eyes avidly followed the little movement of her tongue. "You bought me for the Jedi, Skywalker."

Luke's face showed his distress. "Mara…No!"

She placed her hand over his mouth. "Ssh! You did. If you hadn't, I would not have survived long enough to join you here on Yavin."

They sat huddled together for an age just drawing comfort from one another. Mara realised that she felt safe, warm and…loved. She had sensed that feeling many times over the past ten years but hadn't associated it with Luke. She should have done - now she did. She could feel a thread running between them, tying them together.

She was in love with him. There was no doubt in her mind whatsoever. She loved Luke Skywalker. She'd never known real love from another person and had doubted for many years that she had the capacity. But Luke had always stated that she could do anything she wanted to. He always had faith in her abilities. She should have felt angry but instead held only a bittersweet hope that she could spend as much time with him as possible. He was fond of her but didn't love her in the way a man loves a woman. He was her friend and she could be satisfied with that. He had heard her call for him right across the galaxy and had answered that cry for help. He always would.

But the torrid images of her and Luke wrapped together in a lover's embrace stayed with her.

"Luke…"

"What is it?"

"You can hear me call, just like Palpatine could."

Luke swallowed nervously and finally let go of her hand. "Yes. I'm not exactly sure why or when but sometime after you carried out the last command for the Emperor and killed my clone you transferred the link you had with him…to me."

"Oh."

"Mara, listen," Luke pleaded. "This wasn't my doing…or yours. It just happened but it seems to be getting stronger. I was the only other Force strong individual in your vicinity."

"Leia was there."

"By that time you had spent much more time alone with me. And perhaps I knew that you would not betray me," Mara said soberly. "I cannot control the link."

"Not yet. But you link with me when your emotions are heightened."

So if I'm upset, afraid…"

"Or angry."

"I can hear your thoughts."

"I knew you were asleep on Yavin once," Mara commented. "That was the first time I did it without a strong emotion being involved." She stared accusingly at him. "So that's why you are shielding so heavily around me."

Luke hesitated. "Ah…"

"I know you, farmboy."

"You do, don't you? I didn't want you to think that I'd take advantage of you like Palpatine did," Luke said quietly. "I would never want you to think that about me."

"I know you well enough by now, Luke, and I'm not angry. I realise why you didn't tell me although I wish that you had." Mara gazed into the vivid blue eyes and wished she could just lose herself. "Luke…I…" Her lips parted and she could feel her senses calling out to his.

Luke jumped to his feet. "I think we should have this sparring session," he said briskly.

"Training sabers, huh?" Mara said, arching a red-gold eyebrow.

"Why not? Think you can beat me, Jade?"

"With a training saber?" Mara got to her feet, wishing his arms were still around her. "Just watch me."

"I give." Mara cried as she slumped to the floor and lay still.

"Good," panted Luke. "I've no energy left." He slid down onto the soft matting which covered the floor, his chest rising and falling steadily as his heartbeat returned to normal. "You have improved, Jade."

"I've improved. So I should hope. I still can't measure up to you in a saber fight, Skywalker. You've been holding back on me over the years. I suspect you may even have been throwing a few fights so that I could win." Then she remembered that this man had fought Darth Vader and survived…twice. Not many could make that claim for a first time.

"Nonsense," Luke replied but his tone lacked conviction. She had found him out. "It's getting harder and harder to keep ahead of you, Jade. I'm having to do extra practice just to stay ahead."

Mara was touched at the compliment. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it…however…"

"I know." Mara tried to cut him off as he began to mischievously outline where she had gone wrong.

"I'll do better next time. Mara stood up and pulled Luke by the hand. "Here, put your tunic back on. Let's go and have a look at that saber of yours. I have a theory."

"You do?" Luke smiled at her, pulling his tunic roughly over his head leaving his hair standing on end.

"Yes." Mara smoothed down the sticking up strands. "There," she said. "All the little Jedi can see you looking presentable."

"Mara!" Luke protested and self-consciously flattened his hair even further.

They walked slowly back to his quarters and once inside. Luke led Mara to his workbench and pulled away the concealing cover. "Look." He pointed to the work in progress.

Mara handed Luke the crystal and watched as he fitted it inside the saber next to the darker green of the new one. "Try it now," she said.

Luke grinned at her and extended the blade. For a moment it did exactly what it was supposed to do and then sputtered into darkness.

"Damn!"

Mara's face fell. "I was so sure it was going to work."

"It will work eventually. The saber isn't set up for two crystals and the wiring needs repairing. To be honest I think that's the real problem and…" He opened the casing, peered critically at the new crystal and then removed the emerald green jewel he'd used to buy back Mara's freedom. "I want to just tap a little fraction off that facet there." He pointed at one of the smooth edges of the new crystal. "I think that's the one. Just a sliver." He placed his saber back on the bench and grasped Mara's hand with his own. "But it was a good plan."

"Not good enough," she said, her face downcast.

"Hold out your other hand." Luke dropped the emerald crystal into her palm. "You can pay me back once you are a Jedi. That still holds."

**Yavin IV – several months later**

Luke settled into his chair and activated his holonet link. He was alone in his quarters as Mara had expressed a desire to go to the small but well-equipped gymnasium. The arrangement was working well. Tionne had said there were vacant rooms but Luke had muttered some excuse. He liked having his apprentice near him. It worked well and he was able to monitor her progress and deal with any problems as they arose.

The vid-screen coalesced into the familiar features of his brother-in-law. Han had left several messages over the past few weeks and it was only now that Luke was able to catch up with him.

"Hey, Kid!"

Luke grinned. "Han, old buddy."

"Less of the old," Han chastised the younger man. "Too long since we spoke, Junior."

"I talked to you…just last month."

Han shook his head. "Try the month before that."

Luke blinked in shock. "I knew I'd been busy but…"

"How's things?" Han winked. "I don't want to say too much, just in case you have…"

Luke gave a wry smile. "It's okay; she's not here. She's gone to the gym and she's fine."

"I was just coming to the subject of Jade," said Han. "I thought with Mara on Yavin you would settle down a bit but you seem to still be flying across half the galaxy."

Luke sighed. "Blame Mon Mothma and _your_ wife for that."

"Perhaps it's that you're in too much of a hurry to get back to Jade that keeps you away from the rest of your family."

"She's my apprentice, Han. I have a duty to her."

"Yeah, right." Han's voice was sardonic. "That's what you're telling yourself these days, kid?"

"It's the truth," Luke said quietly.

"How are you getting on with her training?"

Luke's eyes glowed and his face lost the distant expression that Han saw more and more. The naïve, open farmboy had changed into a reserved man. "She's so strong in the Force and so dedicated to her training. She's determined to complete it this time and I'm sure she will succeed. I hope to be able to take her on some of my forthcoming missions. I think she will learn so much more by doing that."

Han's lop-sided grin appeared. "You may be foolin' yourself, kid. But you ain't foolin' me."

"Fooling?" Luke queried carefully. "Why would I try to do that?"

"You're in love with her."

"With Mara?" Luke gave a casual chuckle. "Nonsense."

Han shook his head slowly. "It's not nonsense and you know it."

Luke's shoulders sagged a little. Han had known him for too long and was harder to hoodwink than his sister. "When did you guess?"

"Kid, the first time I saw you two together I knew there was something more than hostility and hot air between you. It wasn't love back then. Oh sure, love can be instant like caf but that kind doesn't always last. I've never trusted that kind of feeling. Real love comes from knowing a person inside out and accepting their faults as well as their strengths. You have to be ready for the good times and the bad and you have to trust them."

"You have it all figured out," Luke commented.

"I know you and your penchant for dangerous or unsuitable women. Mara is the most dangerous of the lot so, of course, she's the one you fall for. Although she's far from being unsuitable - quite the opposite."

"Oh!"

"You trust her," Han stated.

"Of course, I trust her."

"And you must admit you've had your highs and lows with her?"

"I guess…"

"You're in love with her."

"So what if I am in love with her?" Luke asked, pulling together the tattered remains of his façade. "What difference does it make?"

"She does know, doesn't she? You did tell her?"

"Yes, she knows."

"Kid, you could tell her that you love her – that you went careering across the galaxy to save her life without hope of anything more than a grudging thank you in return and almost wiped yourself out in the process."

"And then what?" Luke's face and voice were remote as he distanced himself from his own feelings. "I'm a Jedi Master."

"What's that got to do with it?" Han expostulated.

"Everything. I have given my life to the Jedi and Mara is my apprentice. She will be a Jedi too."

"But you shouldn't have to do it alone."

"I'm not alone. I have the Jedi." Luke was unfaltering.

"That's not what I meant, Junior, and you know it. Stop trying to twist me into knots. It won't work."

"I cannot ask any woman to take on the uncertainties and the difficulties of my life."

Han held his hands up. "Mara Jade is not just any woman."

"Do you think I don't know that?" Luke lost a little of his poise. "She's the one woman that would…could understand." He shrugged. "But it's not to be."

For the first time in many years Han felt like inflicting some damage on his nerf-headed brother-in-law. "Luke…" he pleaded. "Listen to yourself."

"I have and I am. Jem, Gaeriel, Akanah, Callista," he listed. "Look what happened when I tried to live a normal life – when I didn't consider who or what I am."

"Bantha-shit," Han swore. "You don't do normal, Kid. None of these…ladies…were Mara Jade and you didn't love them the way you love her. Normal for Mara Jade is the same as for you and I."

Luke re-adopted his Jedi Master face. "Yes, I do love her but that is the end of it. Love fades with time."

"No, it doesn't. Not that kind of love, Kid." Han was definite. "I saw you with her and if she had died I feared for you."

"I couldn't have lost her," Luke whispered, pain surfacing in his blue eyes. "Just knowing that she was alive somewhere in the galaxy…"

"Kid, you are the most stubborn being I know apart from your sister. Take a chance on this lady. She's worth it and wouldn't let you down."

"I'm training her to knighthood, Han. I am her Master – in a position of trust. To embark on any sort of relationship would be unethical."

"Rubbish," Han dismissed instantly. "She's an adult. You…I'm not so sure about. We're back to using one of Threepio's more common words. 'Improper.'" He grinned. "For a droid fluent in over six million forms of communication he does get hung up on certain phrases."

"But he's right."

"Luke, the Jedi are starting to pair up. Why shouldn't you do the same? You have a right to a home and a family the same as everyone else. And don't say that the Jedi are your family. I'm not buying it."

"Han…"

"Look at Corran and Mirax…"

"They paired up before Corran knew he was a Jedi."

Han grinned. "He didn't ditch her when he found his lightsaber worked, did he?"

"No."

"Well, then. And what about the Solusars. Kam and Tionne seem to be very contented together."

"They are happy," Luke said lamely.

"Luke and Mara Skywalker sounds good to me too, Kid. I don't think there is one Jedi on this jungle moon that would begrudge you a loving relationship."

"All the woman I've ever loved have been doomed in some way. I can't let myself…"

"_Can't let!_ Luke, it's too late for that. You _do_ love her."

Luke could almost feel Han's exasperation all the way from Coruscant as the Corellian glared at him from the vid-screen.

"I have the Jedi and the Force," Luke said sadly.

"Of all the thick headed, pathetic, stubborn…!" Han stopped and took a deep breath. "You're beginning to repeat yourself and it doesn't sound too convincing to me. Have you ever considered that the Force might have sent Mara to cross your path?"

"Yes, I did. I was meant to train her to knighthood. She is destined to be a great Jedi."

"Maybe she is. Have you still got Tatooine sand filling your ears? Where's Chewie when I need him to give the rocks inside your head a little shake? What if Mara is meant for you as a mate?"

"But she doesn't love me, Han."

"She's told you that?"

"Well…No."

"So how do you know? You haven't asked her. You've made no attempt to charm her. Love has to be worked at. Oh, I forgot," Han said mockingly. "You've given up."

Luke had no comeback.

Han gave his familiar lop-sided grin and added his final killer comment. "She didn't want Lando or any of the smuggler guys in Karrde's employ and she could have had any of them if she wanted to. She's come all the way out to mouldy old Yavin IV to train with you. I think she's keener on you than you suspect."

"I think you're seeing things that aren't there," Luke muttered. "She came to complete her Jedi training. What other reasons are there?"

Han rolled his eyes. "What ya gonna do, Kid?"

"Nothing."

"You're being a fool, Luke."

"What else can I do? She means too much to me to lose her. I would rather have her in my life as a friend than not at all."

"I still think you're wrong, Kid. You should take that chance. It could be your last."

_"You're in love with her."_

Mara froze. She was hearing things.

It was late and Mara had returned to Luke's quarters to get ready for bed after her session in the gymnasium. Luke had returned from some mission the day before and she'd hoped to have one of their late night chats. Every time he went away she missed him more and more. If she trained harder perhaps he would take her with him the next time.

She'd been on Yavin IV for almost six months and Luke had been away for nearly half of that time. The New Republic just expected him to jump when they called for his aid and it was wearing him out. He had tried to argue against going but the Senate had sent Leia to plead with him to go.

Her awareness and strength in the Force was growing. She could sense more than she'd ever been able to in the past. It also brought her a greater understanding of the man she was linked to so strongly. When he was away she concentrated on being with the other Jedi, learning to work as one of a team, picking up some of the more basic skills she'd missed out on. Even simple things like playing the games she should have played as a child – making flower shapes in a tank of pink sand or guiding balls through a maze. When Luke was home they spent most of their time together, talking, discussing philosophy, history and honing her skills. She was nearly ready and they both knew it.

Luke was in the area he used as his office and hadn't heard her come in. He'd arrived from Force knows where the day before and Mara wasn't even sure if he'd slept properly since he'd returned. She heard him chatting to someone on the private holonet link he'd had installed in his quarters. Probably more business the New Republic couldn't handle without him and then something - a phrase or a comment - had arrowed its way into her brain.

_"You're in love with her."_

Luke was in love with someone. Mara's mouth went dry and her heart began to thump loudly inside her chest. He _couldn't _be…

_"With Mara? Nonsense."_

_"It's not nonsense and you know it."_

'_With me?' _she thought. Mara shivered, shoving her shields to their maximum and she slipped inside her bedchamber. Leaving the door ajar, Mara pressed her body as close to the door as she dared and tried to catch more of the conversation. She soon realised that Luke was speaking to Han Solo and it was Han who had uttered the fatal words. Mara couldn't believe that Luke was only making a half-hearted attempt to deny Han's opinion. Did the Jedi Master see her as more than Jedi material?

_"But she doesn't love me."_

'I do,' Mara thought, wrapping her arms protectively around her own body. 'I do love him.'

_"What are ya gonna do, Kid?"_ Han's voice echoed around the apartment.

_"Nothing."_

That single word stopped the frantic emotions which tumbled through Mara until she was ready to scream. He loved her as much as she loved him and then…nothing. Luke wasn't going to do anything? He was going to ignore this feeling that linked them across the universe?

Mara let her door noiselessly shut and sank down onto her narrow bed. Luke was in love with her but wasn't going to do anything about it. He had the Jedi and the Force but didn't need Mara Jade enough.

No, he did need her – she knew that he did. There was one way to make sure but she couldn't ask Luke yet. She had to get out of their quarters before Luke realised she was in her room and could have overheard his conversation. Quickly, she assessed her bedchamber. She could exit through the window. It was large enough. Opening the catch, she slid it open enough for her to be able to slide through and dropped silently onto the soft grass beneath. Keeping her shields up, Mara sped through the trees until she arrived at the main building.

The gym was always deserted at this hour. It was as good a place to go as anywhere. The majority of the Jedi seemed to prefer pounding through the jungle en masse rather than attach themselves to a running machine. She set an aggressive pace and began to jog, all the time her mind selecting solutions for her new found problem.

"I thought I might find you here." Luke's voice cut into her confused self-absorption.

Mara hit the stop button and slid off the machine ending up right in front of Luke. Tilting her head, she stared up at the man in front of her. She stretched out with the Force but was careful not to probe at Luke's shields. Once she'd found it so hard to read other beings but now…layers shifted and then she could feel it. Yes, she felt the warmth and it was directed solely at her. Yet it was more than friendship and in the light of her discovery she could now see that. He was in love with her? Mara smiled. Of course he was. She could feel it through their bond in the Force.

Mara fleetingly considered their bond. As soon as they'd met, this link had formed between them and it was still there, stronger than ever after Luke's training. He loved her so why…?

"What is it, Luke?" she asked. "Are you going away again?"

"No, there are no plans to send me anywhere. I told Leia that I needed time to spend on Yavin and to ask someone else. Kyp Durron should be available. If not, I said get Corran to do what was needed. My sister wasn't totally convinced."

"But she came round."

"Yes, she did."

"Good, because otherwise I would have had words with the Senate, your sister and Mon Mothma…"

"I can see you lining them up," Luke said, amused at her vehemence on his behalf.

Mara lifted a hand and pushed an overlong lock of hair away from Luke's face. "They need to give you time to recover."

"I'm fine," he said.

"Of course you are. I think you need a trim," she said, staring at his hair critically. "And you are looking tired, farmboy."

"I'm not…"

"You are. Stop arguing. No one else will have guessed – they don't look deep enough."

Luke gave her a weary smile. "We don't let them look deep enough. We project an image of how we want ourselves to be perceived."

"Very profound, farmboy."

"I am the Jedi Master," Luke joked. "I can 'do' profound."

Mara slipped her arm through his and frowned as he suddenly winced. "Come on, Karrde sent me a store of that hot chocolate you like so much."

"He did, eh!"

They returned to their quarters. Mara moved into the galley kitchen and put on the water heater. Filling a small bowl, she collected a supply of bacta wipes and soft cloths. "Okay, Skywalker. Tunic off."

"What!"

Mara tapped her foot impatiently. "Don't argue – you're hurt."

"Aw, Mara." But reluctantly he complied. She had a look on her face that meant business.

The livid bruising which marred his strong chest drew a gasp of horror from her. "I thought this was a peaceful, diplomatic mission?"

"Not everyone thought so."

"Do Leia and the others know about this?"

"I mentioned it, yes."

"Did you actually tell them you were hurt? Or did you bury that piece of information in the depths of a report that no one will ever read properly?"

Luke's eyes darted away from hers. Mara put down her medical supplies, her hand gently cupped his cheek. "You didn't tell them, did you?"

Luke shook his head. "No...well, I said there were some problems but… Nothing's broken, Mara. I'm just bruised."

"Sit down." She pointed to the sofa and picked up her bowl. "I think there are bruises on top of bruises here, farmboy. This is some colour spectrum. I once had a dress that exact shade of purple."

"You did?"

"I looked terrible in it. Clashed with my hair," she said dismissively. "Next time, I'm coming with you whether I'm fully trained or not. This can't happen again."

"I was going to ask you…ouch!" Luke tried to refrain from flinching as Mara's gentle touch soothed the bacta wipe over his bruised skin.

Her eyes softened at his obvious discomfort and she tried to divert him from the pain. "Did your saber perform as you wanted it to?"

"Yes," Luke muttered, closing his eyes. He had shaved a tiny piece off his new lightsaber crystal, rewired the internal components and prepared the casing to be able to hold another jewel if one came along.

Mara was alarmed at the colour his face had gone. "Sit there for a moment longer," she ordered, her brisk voice hiding her concern. "I can fetch the med droid or Dilys if you want. It might be better to get that looked at, farmboy."

"No," Luke said quietly. "Just you. I told you - it's only bruised. It would only alarm them."

"If you are sure?"

"I'm sure."

Mara removed the bowl and returned to the kitchen. A few moments later she knelt in front of a sleeping Luke Skywalker. If he'd awoken at that moment and gazed into her eyes he would have seen the love she was trying to hide. But things were different now. He loved her but something told her that it wasn't the right time to reveal that love.

"Hey!" she whispered gently, laying a hand on his shoulder. "You can't sleep here."

"Mara?" He opened heavy lidded deep blue eyes and her heart turned over.

"Yes, farmboy." She helped him up and pulled him through to his bedroom. "Sit," she said and knelt down, pulling off his boots. "I've left your hot chocolate beside the bed. I want you to drink it and then put yourself into a healing trance. No arguments, please."

"You're not going to get any," Luke managed to say.

"Good." Mara hesitated and then dropped a kiss on his forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow, Luke."

He nodded, reaching out for his mug of chocolate, something unfathomable in his eyes as he watched her leave his room.

Mara waited for half an hour and then checked on the Jedi Master. She didn't trust him not to be sitting up reading. She closed the blinds and turned to stare at the figure lying in the bed. He'd pulled off his black pants, leaving himself in his snug undershorts, and collapsed dead-to-the-world. Mara pulled a blanket over him and shook her head.

Grabbing her cloak, she left the apartment and headed to the main com centre. There was no way she could risk Luke waking up while she was in the middle of this conversation. Luckily the com centre was empty. If someone came in, she could always claim that she was contacting Karrde.

"Hello, Solo. It's Mara Jade."


	26. Part 26

**The Emerald Price Chapter 26**

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**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you? My thanks also to Niqella and Rhea for their encouragement and invaluable suggestions.

**Coruscant – Solo Residence**

"So you spoke to him?"

"Of course I did, sweetheart." Han Solo sprawled in a comfortable armchair in the lounge, a glass of Whyren's Reserve on a table beside him.

"And?"

"I didn't get much more out of him than you did."

"Liar," Leia said teasingly.

"Hey!" Han grinned up at her. "Some things are between a Corellian and his brother-in-law."

"What about a Jedi Master and his sister?"

"If he doesn't want to talk to you about his love life then he doesn't."

Leia poured herself a glass of pale green Alderaanian wine and sat opposite her husband. "Lack of a love life," she corrected. "My brother doesn't have one."

"True." Han sighed. "He looked tired, Leia. When will the Senate stop sending him on galaxy-wide, one-man peace missions? He can't have any sort of life if they keep doing that."

Leia's pretty features tightened guiltily. He hadn't wanted to go on the last one but she'd persuaded and cajoled and finally he'd given in. He usually did if she asked him to. "When there are more Jedi to go out in the field, then he may get a break."

"There are more Jedi able to travel. Luke's not the only one."

"Worlds in trouble want Luke."

"Yeah and the Kid's too soft hearted to say no."

"He finally said 'no' this time," Leia admitted. "It wasn't me who asked him. There's still time for one of the Inner Council to get in touch with me and tell me to convince Luke to go."

"They would do that? Forget I said it," Han muttered irritably. "Of course, they would do that. They've done it before."

Leia rubbed her eyes wearily. "I was wrong to ask him and believe me I feel guilty about doing so. However on the next occasion, we're sending Kyle Katarn instead. He has offered many times before and has been undertaking missions for Luke and the Jedi for several years now."

"But not for the New Republic."

"Oh, I think indirectly his missions have benefited us. Fey'lya was rather put out, I believe, but my brother was adamant."

"Good for Luke. 'Bout time he put his foot down." Han disliked the Bothan Senator even more than Leia did. He sipped at his drink allowing the smoky flavour to permeate his taste buds. "What did he tell you about the last mission?"

"There was a report submitted - which I haven't read yet - but according to the delegate from Shownar, Senator Ilse Krant, there were some minor problems. Luke fixed them."

"This time."

Leia frowned. "He said that he needed to be at the Academy for a while without interruptions. I would have preferred it if he were the one going on the next mission. I know Luke will do his best for the New Republic. He has the experience and the gravitas able to make his opinions accepted and respected."

"He needs to spend time with Mara. If he could complete her training then she could travel with him." He sipped at his drink. "And anyway…how are any of the others going to get experience if they never get the chance?"

"Yes, I'm sure that's what he has in mind. I can see his point of view but until we have more Jedi out there..."

"As you said. They'll still want Luke."

She ran a finger around the rim of the smooth goblet containing her wine. "He didn't say anything about Mara – did he?"

"What do _you_ think? Things are the same; she is a wonderful student and will make a superb Jedi Knight." Han waved his hands in the air. "And so on and so on."

"And that's all?"

Han made a face. "Of course not. He's in love with her and even admitted it - but will not do anything about it."

"He actually admitted he was in love with Mara?"

"Yup, he did. But he has his excuses all worked out. Ethics…his track record with women…his lifestyle and missions for the New Republic. There were others. Stubborn…son of a…"

"So nothing has changed."

"No, not at the moment. What we need to do is to get Mara into this. If she could admit that she's in love with Luke too, then we could do something about it. She isn't the type of person to sit around and do nothing."

"Neither is Luke," Leia defended her brother.

"He is at the moment."

"Because he thinks it's the right thing to do." Leia swallowed. "Han…is that wise – telling Mara how Luke feels about her?"

"Do you not think that she's in love with him then?"

Leia hesitated. "She was involved with Lando for a long while."

"No, she wasn't."

"She _was_. I know Karrde told us it had been a cover job but…"

"You still think there was something in it." Han began to laugh. "It was a job for Karrde. Mara couldn't bear to have Lando near her after a while. Lando was rather put out that Mara was so keen to get away from him. He thought that she was playing hard to get."

"I know you've told me before that you thought there wasn't anything in their relationship but it seemed very convincing."

"Sweetheart, Mara has lived her life playing games of one sort or another. If you really want proof, talk to Lando. He's quite put out about it all. He tried to put me off…change the topic." Han's grin held a malicious edge. "Another woman fails to fall for his irresistible charm."

"For Lando she was impossible to get." Leia chuckled. "I can just see it."

"And remember, she was mighty keen to give everything up and head out to Yavin. Lando wanted Mara and thought that he could captivate her into his arms and his bed. It didn't work, partly because she's very aware of your brother and I think part of Mara despises Lando for what you see on the surface."

"I have thought sometimes that there were sparks between Luke and Mara but they argued so much."

"And we never argued in the days of our early relationship?" Han deadpanned.

"Well, we did but you weren't trying to kill me at the time although I felt like dispatching you on several occasions."

"Aw…sweetheart. But she didn't kill him and she's the only one that can get him to react normally…well, as normal as the kid ever gets. She treats him like an ordinary guy and he likes that."

The door slid open and Threepio shuffled in, his golden body gleaming in the subdued lighting of the Solos' lounge. "General Solo, there is a holo-message for you in the office."

"Thanks, Goldenrod. Who is it?"

"They did not say, General Solo. But it is a priority message from Yavin IV."

"Luke?" Leia questioned worriedly.

"I guess so."

"But you just spoke to him."

"I know but who else can it be?" Han reluctantly pulled himself out of the armchair but turned and grabbed his drink. "Better go and see what he wants this time and I could be a while." He looked at his wife and then picked up the bottle. "I may need this."

Han settled himself in the comfortable nerf-leather seat and faced the vid-screen. However, it wasn't the serious face of the Jedi Master. Instead, a woman with red-gold hair and bright green eyes filled the monitor. This was a lady he hadn't seen since she'd left the Manarai medical centre almost a year ago. This was the woman he'd just been talking about. Han suppressed a shiver. Sometimes things happened which were just too weird to explain.

"Hello, Solo. It's Mara Jade."

"Jade!" Han found himself at a loss for words for a moment. "I didn't expect to be talking to you. Where's Luke? You haven't damaged the Kid, have you?"

"I'll leave the New Republic Senate to damage Luke. They appear to be rather successful at doing it right now. He's at present in a healing trance," Mara replied succinctly.

"Healing trance!" Han swivelled around to face his wife who had just entered the office. He might have known that she couldn't last two minutes without wanting to find out what Luke was saying.

"Mara?" Leia mouthed in shock and subsided onto the old sofa she kept in the corner of the office.

Han gave his wife a nod. "Why is Luke in a healing trance?"

Mara's mouth flattened. "He was attacked during the last mission."

"But that mission was peaceful," Leia murmured sotto voce to Han. "All that he said was that there were some problems…"

"But you said yourself that you hadn't read his report." Han said.

"Has anybody read that report properly? I doubt it." Mara glared fiercely at the Corellian. "Leia, I would check that report immediately," she bit out. "That treaty isn't as watertight as you'd like to believe."

"There'll be a number cruncher in an office somewhere that will have read it," Han placated with a smile. It didn't work.

"That's not good enough," Mara snapped. "If he's risking his life on your behalf, I suggest people take notice of what he does and says and what happens to him. The left side of his chest looks as if someone's used him as a punching bag. He's very badly bruised and also very tired. Thankfully, he should be okay by tomorrow or the next day once he's had some rest." She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to continue haranguing the Solos. There were many things they needed to hear because Luke would never stand up to his sister with regards to his own well-being. Mara reckoned that Leia could have prevented her brother's inclusion on the last two or three missions. "And…"

"I suppose that's a relief," Han admitted, quickly interrupting her. He didn't think he had ever heard Mara so loquacious. But then it was on Luke's behalf. Mara was standing up for the kid. "Slow down, Jade, and tell me what you know. Luke got beaten up on his last trip?"

"Yes, he said that not everyone was happy with the end result. It's strange how some beings don't like the idea of peace and prosperity. He was jumped at the spaceport, I think, and not by nameless thugs either. These people were highly trained and organised. I don't even know what world he was on at the time. I'm not sure he did either. Luke fought them off and then ran for his ship. He doesn't know that I'm telling you this, by the way. I suppose he won't be too happy about it."

"And I thought everything had gone without a hitch," Leia said.

"When does it ever go as smoothly as that? He was lucky this time, Leia. He should not be travelling alone. Look what happened to me." The fierce look in her eyes faded. "Solo…I wanted to thank you for helping Skywalker to come after me. He said he couldn't have done it without you. I could have died."

Han nodded. "You're welcome and I'm glad he's finally told you the truth."

"Yes, the truth." Mara leaned forward almost as if she could reach out into the office on Coruscant. "Solo, I've been on Yavin six months and Luke's been away for over half of that time. I want you, Leia, to tell the Senate to stop sending you brother out on these missions. He's dead tired and it's too dangerous for him to go alone. He's not going alone again. Next time I go with him whether he says I'm ready or not. I was ready before I started my training. Why, when I'm considered to be well through it, won't they let me off this damned jungle moon?"

"I'm sitting right here, Mara," Leia said. "I hear what you are saying about Luke and his missions."

"I want you to do something about it _now_." Mara gritted.

"Why did you really contact me, Mara?" Han knew he wasn't Force sensitive and was glad of that fact. Someone in the family had to live in the real world. But he knew when something was up. His old smuggler's danger sense had never let him down yet. "What is it?"

Mara gave a quick hunted look around her. "I overheard you and Skywalker talking. I didn't mean to," she assured him rather nervously but she straightened her shoulders and the familiar hint of defiance returned. "I heard things and I wanted to know…"

"If they were true?"

Mara gave a little shrug of her shoulders. "Well…yes."

"Like…" Han drawled slowly. What had she overheard? He had a funny feeling in his stomach. Perhaps they wouldn't have to say very much after all. Obi-Wan had said there was no such thing as luck – coincidence perhaps?

"Is Luke in love with me?" Mara shot the words out like proton torpedoes from an x-wing.

"Is that what you heard?" Han wasn't giving anything away but inside his stomach something was doing somersaults.

"I heard you tell…Luke that…"

"Did you hear his answer?"

Mara whispered. "Yes. But I have to know, Solo. Is it true?"

"What do you think?"

She looked down at the com panel, shaking her head as if it would suddenly settle the swirl of emotions into place, "I don't know-- I hope… I…want--." And finally they did just that. Lifting her chin, Mara stared at him, her eyes burning with green fire. "I know it's true."

"Then why ask?"

"Because I just wanted to be certain."

"Oh, Jade. So the bug finally bit you too."

"Bug?" Mara asked, confusion on her face.

Han laughed. "Some say that love is a sickness – a strange virus that attacks without warning."

Leia stifled a chuckle. Mara would not take kindly to being made fun of. Luke had said that she'd made remarkable strides with her Jedi training. He hadn't mentioned her sense of humour.

Mara's face changed to one of dawning hope, wonder and despair. "I love him. I just don't know what to do about it."

"Did you just find that out?"

Mara shook her head. "No, I've been in love with him for some time...months, possibly years. Oh, I don't know. But I didn't understand that he felt the same way. I suspected he was fond of me but not that he loved me."

"Welcome to the human race, sister. So you want advice on your love life. After all these years I still have it."

Mara gave him a look of disdain. "Don't ruin it, Solo. I was almost beginning to like you."

"Nasty," Han said with a mocking grin.

"I'm not ready to be in love with Luke Skywalker," she hissed from between clenched teeth. "I'm not some sappy sentimental female who drools over a man. I'm not lovable. Why should Skywalker be in love with me - and why I am even telling you all of this?"

"Think, Jade. He gave you his father's lightsaber. He drops everything and runs across the galaxy because he heard your voice calling for him. When you'd gone missing I feared for his mind. If anything had happened to you, I don't think dark side would have been an option – it would have been a certainty. He refuses to let anyone on Yavin take overall charge of your training because you are too important to him…"

"Refuses…" Mara shut her mouth.

"Then there's your affair with Calrissian. What you do is your own business but didn't you see how it affected Luke?"

"There was no affair," Mara snapped. "And you know that."

"I do now but I didn't then and neither did Luke. He couldn't bear to be where you and Lando were when you were together."

"You're saying that Luke was jealous?"

"Yes," Han said. "That's the crux of it. You have always been important to him and he considers you his in a weird kinda way. You're Force strong; you can match him physically and mentally and he's a sucker for helping people who have been treated as you have. Yes, he's in love with you."

"I sense there's a 'but.'" Mara commented wryly.

Han began to lecture in the way he sometimes did to his own children. "Isn't there always? Now remember, Luke is Luke and doesn't see the galaxy the way that we do. He has decided in his own twisted fashion that he will love you from afar and not do anything about it."

"So I heard that part correctly?"

Han nodded. "Love is not for Luke Skywalker. He's tried it and it was a disaster every single time. He has the Jedi to dedicate his life to. He's of the opinion that no woman could live his kind of life and survive. He will love you but is your Jedi Master first; therefore, it is not ethical to embark on a relationship with his own student."

"So he _really_ won't do anything about it?"

"That's my take on it, Jade."

"Ever?" she asked.

"Ever," Han murmured.

"Sithspawned nerf!" she spat. "But what about me?" Mara asked, her green eyes darkening with frustration. "Don't I have a say in things? I'm an adult and can make my own decisions. He doesn't have to make them for me."

"No, he does not." Han grinned, his hazel eyes glinting with mischief. "He shouldn't get everything his own way. It could lead to that dark side you're all so fond of talking about. I suggest you start to wear him down. He's content at the moment but not really happy. I think you would be very good for him. Shake him up a bit…"

"That's so reassuring," Mara's voice was tart. "I'm so thrilled to have your vote of approval."

"But you _do_ have it," Han interjected dryly. "That's a major hurdle cleared. What would you do it we hadn't approved? Leia was beginning to think that there wasn't anyone good enough for her precious brother."

"Mara…" Leia decided to enter the conversation once again. Han would only make things worse if she let him continue. She could see that her husband was itching to wind up the former Emperor's Hand - never a good idea at the best of times. Mara wasn't perhaps thinking at her clearest and could react in a negative fashion.

"Leia?" Mara said, shaking her head slowly.

"Ignore my husband for the moment," the former princess of Alderaan said with a smile.

"I'm trying to," she muttered. "But he keeps talking."

"He does have a habit of doing that but just tune him out. After a while it becomes like background noise."

"Hey!" Han assumed an injured air.

"Although my husband has some woolly notions, I do agree with him on this occasion. Luke loves you and I would be glad to welcome you into our family. But you have several things to consider."

"Like?" Mara drawled, her eyes narrowing.

"Your current position."

"Excuse me?"

Han shifted aside to let Leia sit directly in front of the monitor. "It's simple, Jade. Luke is the Master and you are his apprentice."

"That is the first point you have to consider," Leia instructed as if she were speaking to a small child. "It's a matter of ethics."

Mara closed her eyes. Skywalker was the absolute limit. "Not that Outer Rim morality of his rearing its head again?"

"That's what it is, Mara," Leia said with a small smile. "Luke was brought up in the middle of a lawless world by a family who made sure he knew exactly how to behave. The way he was supposed to behave with all his old fashioned values was drummed into him by Owen and Beru. He's never lost those guidelines and never will. One was that he had to treat a woman with respect."

"They didn't want him getting a girl in trouble," Han put in. "In fact, they kept him so close to the old moisture farm that he was more naïve than anyone I'd ever met. The legacy of 'Old-black-mask-and-heavy-breathing' left a lot of people worried about what could happen if he procreated."

"So you are telling me that until I become a Jedi Knight, Luke won't even glance in my direction?"

"Oh, he will glance. My wife won't mind me saying that you are a beautiful woman, Mistress Jade, because she knows that no one in the entire universe can touch her. I'd marry her again given half the chance." Han reached out and took Leia's hand in his.

"Nerf," she said lovingly.

Mara gave Han a strained smile. "It's okay, I understand and that is how it should be. You have one of the strongest relationships I've ever known. I can't imagine ever having something like that."

"You could have. Luke will be a martyr to his cause…the Jedi. And all he will do is languish after you." Han pulled up another seat and sat beside Leia. "I know I'm making the Kid sound pathetic and he's not like that at all. He's just been burned too many times. He has decided that romantic love will pass him by so he will do his duty and focus completely on the Jedi. As I said before, you will have to wear him down."

"I want to see my brother happy, Mara," Leia said, her dark eyes serious. "He is content with his life and has been this way since he let Callista go from his heart but I want more for him than just contentment. Is that wrong of me?"

"No, Leia. It's not wrong. Perhaps by doing nothing he will also let me go from his heart," Mara whispered worriedly.

Leia shook her head. "No, with you it's different. He can't help loving you – he has no defence against it. I think deep down, he knows the Force has brought you together but is trying to ignore it. He's frightened of being hurt again and of losing you."

Mara's green eyes turned to chips of durasteel. "He won't lose me."

Leia smiled, her dark eyes warm. "Somehow, whatever happens you will never be far from one another."

Han sighed. "But he cannot take that extra step."

"He does not really believe," Mara stated. "He said he had trouble believing in the Force when Yoda trained him on Dagobah. I have to make him believe…" She clenched her fists. "Why does he have to be so stubborn?"

"He is unaware of how you feel about him, Jade," Han drawled. "Maybe if he knew…"

"We could still be in the same position. Luke has to be made to see that Mara is the right woman for him and that he needs her as much as the Jedi need him. Would you like my opinion, Mara?" Leia enquired carefully. This was the most open and vulnerable she had ever seen Mara. Although perhaps 'vulnerable' was in relative terms. She could still kill in ways too numerous to mention. Luke was in love with the woman and that was enough for his sister. Leia had got past the death threats Mara had issued against Luke many years ago. As Luke had said, Mara didn't mean them. She hadn't been able to help her servitude to the Emperor any more than they could help having Darth Vader as their father.

"Please," Mara said quietly.

Leia pursed her lips. "Okay, this is what I would do," she said. "I would try and get that Knighthood of yours as soon as you can…"

"I'm trying…no, I'm doing…Force…But you keep sending Luke to the other ends of the galaxy without me." Her frustration was obvious.

"I'm sorry, Mara. I can assure you that other Jedi will be undertaking the next few missions on behalf of the New Republic. But I can only hold off the Senate for so long. Luke _will_ have to start travelling again. He won't want to stay on Yavin IV indefinitely."

"I understand. Thank you. He won't be going anywhere without me again whether I've achieved Jedi Knight status or not." Mara held up her wrist and Leia and Han could see her familiar hold-out blaster strapped to it. "It's set on stun and I will use it, if he becomes difficult."

"I would research Jedi bonds and bonding ceremonies. See what you can find out. I don't think many of the Jedi bonded although I suspect that they must have done."

"Perhaps for some of the reasons that Luke is afraid to commit to another," Mara said. "A wife would have to be very understanding because she would not be first on her husband's list or vice versa."

"But little Jedi babies had to come from somewhere," Han inserted cheekily. "Not all of them were chance happenings."

Leia gave her husband a quelling look before turning back to Mara. "Go and speak to Tionne Solusar. She can point you in the right direction. Or ask her about her own bonding ceremony. Kam and Tionne are the only current Jedi who are bonded."

"Just bring it up in casual conversation," Han inserted helpfully.

"I don't have 'casual conversation' with Tionne. She looks at me as if I'm one tentacle away from a Sarlacc pit."

"You could try…ahem…_do_," Han muttered. Both the women glared at him.

"What about Corran?" Mara said, her face lighting up. The Corellian pilot was someone she considered to be a friend and ally.

Leia shook her head. "Mirax is not a Jedi, so it isn't the same and they are Corellian."

"It's usually different for the Corellians," Han said with pride.

"And why isn't that a surprise," Leia said dryly. "You are going to need a little ammunition." Leia's mouth quirked up in a smug grin. "I'm not talking about a couple of power packs for your blaster."

"You will need to have all your wits about you to counter Luke's defensive arguments and he _will_ have them," Han chipped in, his familiar lop-sided grin in full evidence. "Leia's talking about the whole feminine arsenal as firepower."

Leia gave a sly wink and Mara sat up straighter. "I'm listening, Madam Senator," she drawled softly. "I have my suspicions where this might be going. Carry on."

"This could be difficult but please remember that although my brother is the Jedi Master; you also have one very confused human male."

"Ah," Mara began to smile. "I am still sharing his quarters."

"You are?" Leia blinked and gave Han a sideways glance. "I didn't know that." She gave a grin and Mara was surprised for the first time, to see a hint of Luke in Leia's smile. "So you could be leaving…articles…" Leia arched an eyebrow,"…around the place."

"I could." Mara's smile held the promise of mischief.

"Start cranking up the heat, Jade. Get the Kid so hot and bothered he gives in."

Leia's smile was all woman. "As I said, Luke is a man and all men have their weaknesses. I suspect you are Luke's."

"Think about it, Jade," Han said airily. "You've now got the upper hand. You know both sides of the triangle."

Mara arched an eyebrow. "I thought a triangle had three sides."

"This one does. It's called the Jedi and the Force. If you could get two sides in your favour and you know how to manipulate the third, you are on to a winner. You know that you love him and he loves you."

"Yes," Mara said slowly.

"But Luke doesn't know that you love him or know that you know that he loves you. Whew!" Han whistled. "Simple." Han crossed his arms and sat back. "Although…" He frowned and rubbed the little scar on his chin. "Luke still isn't predictable."

"I think I'm still following you, Solo. But that sounds confusing."

Leia nodded her head, her dark eyes intent on Mara's reactions to what she was saying. "You can be more powerful than the dark side of the Force by sticking with the light but as a woman you have things in common with that energy."

"I do remember Luke saying that the dark side was more seductive."

"Atta girl," Han crowed. "She's got it."

"Leia – I need you to do me a favour."

"Of course, Mara. If it helps you help my stubborn brother."

"I'm not promising anything but I can give it a try and don't spout that stupid saying about the doing and the trying, Solo. You're not a Jedi."

"Hey!" Han looked aggrieved. "How did you know I was going to say anything at all?"

Mara's lip curled. "Past experience. Now go away; I want to speak to your wife alone. This is not for your delicate shell-like ears, Solo."

"What! You are going to talk about underwear without me?" Han made a wild guess and was gratified to see both his wife and Mara Jade flush.

Leia's lightsaber flew into her hand. "Out!" she said.

"I'm going." Han held his hands up and backed from the room.

Mara made her way back to Luke's quarters with a sense of purpose filling her. A glance at her wrist chrono told her that it was late and the academy complex was silent. Most of the Jedi were fast asleep at this late hour. Mara reached out with the Force and caught the sense of vibrant life the place was so abundant with. She'd not been certain that Yavin IV was the correct place for Luke's academy and even more so when the dark spirit of Exar Kun had started attacking the students but now…Mara could appreciate the place. The Force resonated around her.

With a wave of her hand the door slid aside enough for her to slip inside. "Lights," she murmured. Her head was buzzing with so many things to think about and hope for and her heart was full of the love of the man lying sleeping in the next room. Suddenly she had to see him – had to check that he was still okay. His injuries could have been far worse than they were and she could have lost him. Unknowingly like Luke had on Elrood, Mara wondered if she could go on without him and did she really want to be in love with someone who made her feel that way?

She moved stealthily inside his bedchamber and gazed down at Luke's prone form. The livid bruising marring his rib cage had faded, its ugly colours more muted. Mara sat down beside him and watched him rest, his chest rising and falling evenly, his long lashes fluttering on his cheek. There were many women who would envy Luke his eyelashes. It was the only feminine thing about him.

With a yawn, she felt her own eyes grow heavy. She hadn't slept properly while he'd been away and now that he was home… The tiredness washed over her, engulfing her in its depths. She'd missed him. Yavin hadn't been the same with him – it was as if the heart and warmth had gone out of the place.

It was the sun and the sound of Yavin's bird life that awoke Luke Skywalker from his healing trance. He glanced down at his bare chest and gave a smile of satisfaction. The bruising had almost gone. It was then that he noticed the woman slumped in the chair by his bedside; her red-gold hair tumbling untidily around her face, her dark lashes casting a shadow across her pale cheeks. She looked exhausted.

"Oh, Mara," he whispered.

Easing from the bed, Luke slipped his arms around her and lifted her through to her own room. "Luke…"she murmured in her sleep, her arms coiling around his neck as if she sensed that he was carrying her.

"Ssh, it's alright. I'm here," he soothed, sending a message to her through their Force bond to continue her slumber. "Go back to sleep."

"So tired…" she muttered without waking.

It was with great difficulty that Luke entangled Mara Jade from his arms without waking her as she clung to his form with the tenacity of a mynock.

'Force, he had missed her,' Luke thought. It got harder and harder to leave her behind. Next time he was taking her with him and he didn't care what anyone said or thought. He had the suspicion that Mara wouldn't let him out of her sight without her again.

He headed for the refresher, treated himself to the luxury of a long hot shower and, feeling much better, returned to his reading material. Mara was almost ready for her trials and he wanted to be ready for her. He didn't think there was any task he had performed in the last few years that had held so much importance.


	27. Part 27

**The Emerald Price Chapter 27**

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**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you? My thanks also to Niqella and Rhea for their encouragement and invaluable suggestions.

Mara opened her eyes and found that she wasn't where she expected to be. She was in her tiny room, lying _on_ her narrow bed on top of the covers still fully clothed - not in it - a soft, bantha-hair blanket had been placed over her. The sun splashed brightly against the walls and Mara frowned. It was brighter than usual… 'Sith,' she thought irritably. 'I've overslept.'

Her sluggish mind began to recall the previous night's events and she sat up, her face worried. 'Luke!' He had to have lifted her through to here.

_'Morning, sleepyhead,'_ Luke's voice said in her head.

"Skywalker?"

The bedchamber door opened - just a fraction - and the Jedi Master's tousled blond head stuck through it. "Hi," he greeted softly.

"How are you feeling?" Mara asked.

"Feeling?" he echoed. "Oh, I'm fine. Your tender care last night followed by at least ten straight hours in a healing trance made all the difference."

"Let me see," Mara commanded.

Luke lifted the hem of his vest and drew it upwards. Mara could see that the bruising had faded to dull greens, purply-blues and yellows but she could also see that he was in good shape. "I think it will be tender for a day or so," Luke commented thoughtfully.

"Better tender and alive than dead," Mara retorted. "Or a dip in the bacta tank."

"I had that the last time I was on Coruscant…don't remind me," Luke mumbled. "I hate bacta. You taste the sickly sweet…"

"When you were last on Coruscant?" Mara's voice rose ominously. "When was that? You haven't been there to my knowledge since…"

Luke clapped his hand over his mouth. "Oh, hell." The words were muffled but Mara caught them clearly.

Mara sat up straighter. "Explain."

"It was nothing." Luke dismissed her demand.

Mara gave him a look. "Don't give me 'nothing', Skywalker. I know you too well by now. It wasn't 'nothing'. Why were you in a bacta tank?"

Luke pushed his fingers through his hair making it even more dishevelled than it had been. "When we returned to Coruscant I was diagnosed with the Leptas virus too. But only a mild case," he hastened to say. "An hour in the bacta tank, plus a day in my usual room at the Manarai and I was all better."

"You got it from me?" she asked pointedly.

He couldn't deny it. "Yes, because I was with you for most of the return journey to Coruscant. I helped you into a healing trance because you weren't able to do it yourself. I'm not pulling the bantha hair over your eyes, Mara. It was a mild case and I was treated quickly. End of story."

"More I have to thank you for?"

"No. No thanks required. You couldn't help the fact that you'd gotten sick."

"But I infected you."

"And I was cured quickly. I was quite aware of the risks. We knew you had the virus because Karrde's medic told us. When we arrived back on Coruscant, I checked into the Manarai. I had the best medical care available. Leia made sure of that. End of story, Mara. It's time to move on."

She tilted her head to one side and stared at him. "But you haven't moved on. You are still in the same place you've been for the past few years."

"Oh, yes?" Luke's eyes narrowed. "In what way?"

"Callista." Mara dared the Jedi to look away from her. The discovery of her feelings had led to some insecurity about the way Luke regarded the woman he'd been in love with. She had to know if he still felt the same way about her.

"_Callista!_" Luke's voice rose in disbelief and then he laughed. "That's long over. She's not coming back, nor do I want her to. I can remember the happy times we had and that's good but I don't dwell on the failure of that relationship. Not now."

"I think you do." Mara's voice was so low that Luke had to strain to hear her words.

"No, I don't."

"Then why are you alone?"

"Because I choose to be. I have accepted that the Jedi Order is my life."

"But…"

"You've known me for a long time. What woman would put up with my hermit-like tendencies and saving the galaxy impulses?"

"I could think of several."

Luke chuckled. "Yeah, right. Mara, I know you mean well and I'm glad you care enough but I'm not in love with Callista – not now."

"Then it's time to choose someone else."

"Why are you so interested?"

"I don't think you should be alone, that's all."

Luke grinned and shook his head. "I guess you haven't noticed, Jade. They aren't queuing up to fall in love with me."

"I wouldn't say that. I thought you were cutting a swathe through the most eligible of Coruscant maidens at the last ball we attended together."

He shifted awkwardly, uncomfortable with the topic. He'd been pressured to attend by Leia and when he'd arrived Mara had been dancing with Calrissian. "That was when you started seeing Lando." Luke's voice darkened.

"I wasn't seeing him."

"You were spending time with him that you used to spend with me."

Mara's breath caught in her throat. He sounded jealous. "You never told me that you minded."

"It wasn't my right," Luke muttered.

"I'm sorry," Mara said softly. "I didn't mean to cause you pain but you retreated from me too."

"I didn't want to interfere. I hoped you were happy."

"I'm happy now," she said and was rewarded as Luke's blue eyes lit up again. The more time she spent with Luke the more certain she was of her feelings and his. The only problem was Luke's faith in love.

Mara noted that he wasn't wearing his Jedi blacks but something that resembled an old rebel camouflage outfit. Baggy khaki trousers and a sleeveless vest top. She recalled the very first pictures Palpatine had shown her of Luke and would swear that he was wearing the exact same outfit. "Where is the Jedi Master suit?"

Luke noted her gaze and grinned. "I need to do some laundry."

"You need to do…?"

"Yeah, I could put them to the facilities here and sometimes I do - but they have enough to do. So I…"

"They're droids!" Mara's eyebrows almost reached her hairline.

"With a lot to do," Luke said.

"You are one strange man. I don't know anyone else who treats his droids like you do. Corran and Antilles are almost as bad but you…" She shook her head in disbelief. "Jedi are supposed to be mystical, learned creatures but you delight in the mundane."

He gave a little shake of his head in the manner of a young boy. "We do deal with things that are magical – things that are difficult to explain but I must admit I don't feel that way when I have to sort out my underwear or wash my smelly workout gear. Ordinary is what I am."

"You could wave your hands and always have clean smalls. Now that would be a Jedi skill worth learning." Mara lay back against her pillows. He could never be ordinary no matter how hard she tried to keep him that way. He was Luke Skywalker, yet he hadn't been born to greatness and somehow he managed to retain something of his humble origins. It was part of what made him so special.

"I suspect that could be construed as a misuse of the Force," Luke said, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips as he reluctantly moved forward and perched himself on the end of her bed.

There wasn't a lot of room in the tiny bedchamber and Luke squashed his feelings of guilt. Tionne had a suite of rooms ready for Mara as soon as he said the word but he'd been reluctant to have her move out of his quarters. He liked having her close and she hadn't complained about her continuing sojourn in his cramped spare room. When he'd arrived back on Yavin IV after the last trip it had felt like home because she was there. Luke pushed away the implications of his feelings and concentrated on the woman before him. "Mara…" He hesitated. "You don't have to stay here with me if you don't want to. It's pretty basic."

"No, I like it here but I've sent back to Coruscant for some of my things…just to…"

"Make the place feel like home?" Luke felt guiltier than ever.

"One of the reasons, but I have workout clothes that are sitting in my apartment. Karrde will send them with the next supply transport."

"I was never much for fancy décor."

Mara tilted her head to one side, her eyes greener than ever. "I told you, I like your home on Yavin IV. It feels welcoming. My apartment on Coruscant never felt like a home. It always seemed empty and unlived in – maybe because it was. I was always travelling, first for the Emperor and then for Karrde. I lived more on my ship than I ever did in my apartment. Sometimes I landed on Coruscant and never strayed too far from the spaceport."

Luke grinned. She liked his quarters. The guilt began to slip away. "You can add anything you want, Mara."

"What I want, farmboy, is a shower. So unless you want to scrub my back?"

Luke scrambled to his feet and made for the door with indecent haste as Mara began removing her tunic. "I'll go and make some caf," he gabbled as her creamy skin was revealed to his gaze and vanished from her sight.

Mara chuckled. "Run now, Skywalker," she said quietly. "I'm going to have you so tied up in knots that you won't know which way to go, even if you want to go at all."

Luke watched Mara critically as she went through her paces in the specially adapted lightsaber arena. Something had changed in the last few days since he'd retuned from his last mission and he hadn't worked out yet what it was but every so often he caught Mara staring at him, a quizzical look in her eyes.

If she had a problem she would probably let him know in time. But he had a feeling that she was waiting for something – a sign perhaps but what kind of sign he had no clue. There was certainly activity going on behind her clear green gaze. He ought to be suspicious but she wasn't in danger of going anywhere near the dark side. No, it was something else.

Mara flipped and somersaulted, landing awkwardly, cursing as she hit the mat in what Luke recognised as Huttese. An ugly language but particularly effective for relieving built up tension. With a final lunge, she wrong-footed her opponent.

"Hey!" he chided. "Language."

Mara glared at her Master and then grinned at her opponent who laughed at her, his chuckle turning into a wheeze.

"I'm beaten, Jade." Pod Nor rolled over and lay on his front. "Just leave me to recover for…oh, about a week."

"You don't have a week," Mara gibed good-naturedly.

"Finish me off now," he managed to say.

"That was much better, Pod Nor," Luke commended the younger man as he walked forward to join the combatants. "Much improved from the last time I saw you."

"Thank you, Master Skywalker. I lasted at least half an hour this time. The first time I fought Jade, I think I managed about five minutes. I am working to improve. Your apprentice has proved to be an inspiration and a hard taskmaster but none of us can quite compete with her…"

"Yet." Mara finished giving her ankle a rub.

"As you should. None of us can afford to relax our skills." Luke began unfastening his belt, his lightsaber dropping to the floor with a little thud. "Mara, go and relax. That was a good session from both of you. Take a little time to wind down."

"Sure," she said. "I need to do some stretching first; otherwise, I'll stiffen up."

"Your ankle?" Luke asked, concern in his voice.

"It's fine – no damage, thankfully." Mara picked up her belongings and began to trail after Pod Nor until something made her look back. The Jedi Master had pulled off his tunic and was sauntering towards a set of hoops hanging from the ceiling. With a wave of his hand they descended until he could grasp them firmly. Closing his eyes, Luke kicked out at a lever Mara hadn't noticed before and the apparatus rose back up until it was several metres in the air with Luke hanging from the hoops.

Mara watched open-mouthed as the Jedi twisted and turned, his muscles straining and an intense look of fierce determination as he pushed his body through a series of punishing gymnastic exercises.

"He doesn't normally relax enough to let us see him like this," Pod Nor whispered to Mara. "I don't think I realised how good he actually is."

"You call that relaxed?" Mara muttered.

"Yes, for the Master. He's been much happier since you arrived here, Jade."

"He _has_?" Mara's voice rose a little. "He works harder than any of us. He tries so hard to set an example. I just wish…" Mara sighed.

Pod Nor placed a comforting hand on Mara's arm and moved quietly from the chamber, leaving her alone with the man determinedly going through his routine.

It was impressive and yet humbling and the womanly soul of Mara Jade began to heat up inside. Love wasn't just a cerebral affair. It affected the body and the senses and deep in her core she began to burn. 'Patience,' she told herself. 'The time is not right to make your move.' But how she wanted to. Taking a deep breath, Mara slipped from the room leaving Luke to his practice, although everything within her craved to stay and watch.

Mara stood and observed Luke as he bent his head in concentration over some holo-document. It was somehow endearing, the way his nose wrinkled with the effort, his hair tousled as if he had run his hands through it several times. "I'm going to the dining room, Luke," she said. "Are you coming?"

"What...Where?"

"Supper?" Mara tapped her wrist chrono. "Food, farmboy. You know you can't go without it for very long."

Luke shook his head. "No, I think I'll just stay in and have a meal here. I have some things I need to use up. Just some staples I was going to throw into a pan. You are welcome to join me if you like?"

"I do like," Mara said. A meal alone with Luke…just the two of them? Yes, she liked that idea very much. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I just want a little peace from the rest of the Jedi world."

"You've been pushing yourself too hard again, farmboy. I don't think you gave yourself enough time to recover after your last trip. Tionne said that you'd taken more classes in the last few days than you had in several months."

"This is the longest period I've had at home for weeks," Luke admitted with surprise. "I can't just sit idly by when we are short-staffed."

Mara rolled her eyes. "Tionne and Kam want you to take it easy for a few days. They don't expect you to kill yourself." She glared at him. "Have you done any more healing on your rib cage?"

"That was last week," he protested.

"Maybe it was but you had a rather strenuous exercise routine earlier on this afternoon and I saw the way you were moving when you came in for your shower. So I hope you haven't aggravated it again."

Luke gave a rather shamefaced shake of his head.

"Is it still troubling you?"

"Not really…"

"It is." Mara scowled. "You need someone to look after you. At the moment it looks as if it's going to be me." She marched towards him and grabbed the edge of his tunic.

"Mara!" Luke yelped as she pressed her hand firmly against his naked flesh and watched him wince.

"If you don't start taking care of yourself, Skywalker, I promise I'll put out a call to your sister."

"But that's blackmail!"

"Is it?" she cooed. "My, something I must have learned in a former life."

"I'll take the next few days off," he promised, his gaze earnestly staring into hers. "You are going to have extra time to do all the reading I'm going to prescribe." She wasn't the only one who could threaten. He could feel the disturbing sensation of her hand against his flesh. "It _is_ much improved. It's still a little tender, that's all, after my workout. All the bruising has faded."

"So I should hope," Mara muttered. His skin was warm and smooth to her touch and she wanted to explore what she felt. Her pulse thundered in her own ears. It wasn't enough any more just to be his friend. Reluctantly Mara withdrew her hand from Luke's body and stepped away. "I'll go and set the table, shall I?"

An hour later, the meal had been eaten and the dishes cleared away. Luke and Mara sat on the comfortable sofa nursing large mugs of hot chocolate.

"So, the Jedi Code," Luke said.

"What about it?" Mara muttered, making a face at him. "You know what I think about it."

"I'm not sure that I do," Luke answered.

"All that…'There is no…' stuff," she said. "It's so negative. What about what there _is_?"

"I don't find it negative," Luke said, a smile on his well-shaped lips.

"That's you," Mara said snippily. "There is no emotion; there is peace," Mara quoted. "I'm not a droid."

"I think that's in no doubt," Luke said, the amusement lingering in his voice.

"I do agree with part of that statement but not with it all. You do have to keep your emotions under control but you have to remember that you have them. To be without emotion is not to be alive and I think it could be one of the greatest strength of all beings who can feel and express emotions."

Luke was surprised a little at her fervour but he should learn not to be. "And peace?" he asked.

"A luxury I wish the entire galaxy could afford."

"We have our work cut out for us," Luke murmured.

"I think the first part of the Jedi Code should read: 'Keep your emotions under control but never forget that you have them. Use them to give you mental strength and to strive for peace.'" She shrugged. "It's more long-winded but it makes sense to me."

"I'm pleased that you have given it so much thought," Luke said.

Mara peered at him from underneath her lashes. "I knew I had to. I suspected that you might mention it…oh, I don't know…several thousand times?"

Luke couldn't help but respond to her gentle teasing. "I think we should add another sentence to the Code. 'Do not make fun of your Master. He is wise above all things.'"

"As if I'd ever say that about you," Mara said lightly. "Occasionally you can make some sense but the rest of the time…"

He was no match for her and retreated behind the Code. "There is no ignorance; there is knowledge," he said.

"Now that one I do agree with wholeheartedly. No arguments from me."

"None?"

"None." Mara was quite definite.

"What about 'too much information is sometimes a bad thing'?" Luke queried.

Mara shook her head. "I would still rather be aware of all I need to know about a situation. Going in blind could get you killed."

"There is no passion; there is serenity."

Mara frowned. "Yes."

"Just yes?"

"This sentence I cannot agree with."

"You cannot?"

"No. What kind of passion are we talking about?"

Luke suddenly felt the strange feeling in his stomach as if there could be trouble ahead. "I…er…"

Mara's smile was a mere glimpse of her teeth. There was no humour in it. "Sexual?" she murmured huskily, staring straight into Luke's eyes. "Or enthusiasm…fervour for your cause? She leaned forward and Luke found himself leaning back. "You do not live your life without passion for your cause, Luke Skywalker."

"Passion can blind you to what's real in your life."

"Real!" Mara laughed scornfully. "No. You _have_ passion, Luke. You always have had. That was one of the things the Emperor feared about you. Passion for your cause – first, the Rebel Alliance and now the rebuilding of the Jedi. You have always lived your life to the full… apart from…" Mara stopped and pinned Luke in place with her gaze.

"What!"

"Do you feel strongly about what you do?"

"Yes." Luke felt uncomfortable under her keen stare.

"Passionately?" She leaned back against the sofa cushions and folded her arms.

"Ah…" Luke knew that she had him there.

"And too much serenity is boring. It almost makes one appear to be complacent and that, in our profession, can be dangerous," Mara said dismissively.

"You have given this a lot of thought," Luke muttered.

"And sexual passion," Mara interrupted. "Why is that wrong?"

Luke shifted uncomfortably. "It's distracting?"

"Maybe it is but remember, Skywalker, the old Jedi Order left us this code and a lot of other worthless pieces of information and they did not survive. Perhaps this code was one of the reasons why they almost became extinct. We are left with the situation that hopefully some Jedi passion may produce some potential Jedi recruits. You do not have enough to make the Jedi viable as a Force for good in the galaxy."

Mara raised an eyebrow at him and Luke felt a wave of heat sweep through his body. "You make a most convincing case. Potential Jedi recruits?"

"I'm _passionate_ about it," she murmured throatily. "The Jedi Order has to rebuild its numbers. If the Jedi do not mate perhaps the strength of the Force could be weakened and die. Maybe you need to think about that relationship you could have and the Jedi recruits you could produce through procreation. Life, after all, is part of the Jedi creed."

Luke swallowed. Force, she could get his temperature rising like no woman ever had before with a mere word or just a single glance. "Very good," he said, his voice rough with the effort of keeping his feelings in check. With a mammoth effort of will he croaked his way through the next part of the code. "There is no death; there is the Force."

"We are back to procreation and therefore to sex."

She gave a wicked grin and Luke clamped down on his wayward libido. "No death…" he managed stiffly.

"I would like to believe in that, Mara said. "I've seen many things that I cannot explain."

"So have I," Luke said. "I saw my first teacher, Obi-Wan Kenobi, cut down in front of my eyes." He couldn't believe how fresh the pain still felt after all these years. "Yet, when I expected to see my fallen master, there was nothing. His body had completely disappeared. Vader picked up Obi-Wan's lightsaber and trampled all over his robe but he had gone. It was then I heard his voice calling inside my head. 'Run, Luke, run.'"

"Go on," Mara whispered.

"Then I saw him, first on Hoth and then on Dagobah. Obi-Wan appeared to me several times over the years. I also saw Yoda and my father."

"Then I can leave that part of my Jedi Code unaltered," Mara said with a warm smile.

"Jedi Master Odan Urr said that 'ancient writings were no match for personal experience.' I would agree."

"So would I. Farmboy, I think we're both learning."

Mara uncoiled her legs from where she'd tucked them underneath her and stood up. "Another chocolate?"

"No, I think I'm ready for bed."

Mara grinned at him and then on impulse bent and brushed her lips across his. "Goodnight, Skywalker," she said, restraining the urge to touch her lips where they were still tingling as she sauntered from the room.

Luke, staring after her, could scarcely move. Why had she done that? It had only been a casual peck but his body had been tense since the conversation about passion. It was the first time ever that the Jedi Code had got him almost to an aroused state.


	28. Part 28

**The Emerald Price Chapter 28**

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**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you? My thanks also to Niqella and Rhea for their encouragement and invaluable suggestions.

**Kam Solusar's Office - Yavin IV**

Light filtered through tinted panes of glass, dappling the occupants of the room in shifting patterns of colour. Luke followed the dancing lights, his mind distracted.

"Master Skywalker." Kirana Ti gently nudged the arm of the man sitting next to her. "Master Skywalker," she repeated a little louder.

Luke blinked and turned his head, staring bemusedly at the Dathomirian witch. "Uh…yes?" he said slowly.

"Are you well?" she asked. "You seem…"

"A little far from this office," remarked Tionne tartly.

"I…" Luke had no excuse to offer. He was guilty of not concentrating. He would have picked on a student for the same misdemeanour in class. Not that any of them ever did when he was teaching. Luke often wondered why.

"We've called your name several times," Kirana Ti said. "Master Solusar would like to start the meeting."

Luke dragged his wandering attention back to where it should be. "I'm sorry," he apologised quietly.

"Problems?" Kam asked, his face grave.

Luke gave a wry half-smile. "No, not really. Nothing to worry the Order at any rate." Mara Jade had tied him in so many knots that he was losing his grip on reality. Daydreaming about the colour of her hair whilst in the middle of a staff meeting was going a little too far. Perhaps that was one of the reasons that the Jedi Order had frowned upon romantic attachments. A Jedi should not know passion. This one did and every time he thought about, he could see Mara Jade sitting next to him, her face alive. _"I'm passionate about it," _she'd said.

"I didn't sleep too well last night," he admitted. "I'm just tired. Master Yoda once said that I never had my mind on where I was and what I was doing. It appears the same thing still applies."

He watched as Kam gave Tionne a glance from the corner of his eyes. She could be as bad as Leia when it came to his health and would confine him to the Academy sickbay if she thought he needed it. Tionne gave a miniscule shake of her silvery head. She was perhaps the least attuned with the Force amongst them but there wasn't a thing happening on Yavin IV that she did not know about. Tionne kept a secure hand on the Academy's controls.

Luke picked up his data reader and tapped in a couple of sentences which, when he read them back later on, proved to be complete gobbledygook. The Solusars were the lucky ones – they combined a loving relationship with their knighthoods and their lives as Jedi. Did they know how much Luke envied them their good fortune? He suddenly felt ashamed of himself. Kam and Tionne deserved every piece of happiness they got.

_Knighthoods._

One of the things he was here to discuss, instead of thinking about what might have been or if he could have his heart's desire. He needed to get on with the business at hand – the final stage in the training of the most senior of the Jedi students.

"If I could open this meeting," Kam declared, his calm demeanour fully in evidence. "We are here to discuss the current status of our senior class."

"Are they ready for knighthood?" Streen asked doubtfully. He liked them all but, apart from Ix Io and Mara Jade; they seemed too inexperienced, too young. Or was it that he was just getting too old?

"Were any of us ready for the burden and responsibility such a level demands?" asked Luke. "I don't think I was at the time. I was thrust into the rank of fully fledged Jedi Knight but I was the only trained one left. Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi had to trust to the Force that I had learned enough to do what I had to do – face Vader and the Emperor. These students have the luxury of having examples, both good and bad, to follow and the time to do it in. What was necessary for you and I does not follow for these students. I hope they never have to go through the dark times. It is only when students are given an opportunity that they can have a true chance to prove themselves ready."

A murmur ran round the table. During the height of the Empire's power Force ability had not been a blessing. Most adepts had paid for their gift with their lives. They were all agreed that they never wanted to see that happen again.

"They have been sheltered here with us on Yavin and some of them still show a certain naivety but they are ready to take the next step," Tionne said. "They need to experience what life as a Jedi has to offer.

"Even the dark times?" Luke raised an eyebrow. "I'm not so sure that they are all ready to face the horrors that the galaxy still tries to hide," said Luke. "Groet, Allin Fitch…Dilys Van Osten?" he queried.

The faces of the others showed their indecision. "You don't think Dilys is ready?" asked Kam thoughtfully.

Luke shook his head. "No."

"I have to agree," said Kirana Ti. "Her self-defence and saber work is poor."

"But she is a healer," Tionne said. "They are still so rare amongst our kind."

"And healers never have to defend themselves or a patient – never have to take up arms against another being?" Luke murmured, silencing the rest of Tionne's arguments. "I think Dilys would be the first one to admit that she feels uncertain of her abilities. This goes further than merely her fighting skills."

"What do you suggest, Master Skywalker?" said Kam.

"What was mooted for Dilys from the beginning. She should go to study medicine at a reputable school in the Core and then spends time on Mon Calamari with Cilghal."

Streen nodded, his craggy face brightening. "The Force tells me that is a good plan. Dilys is a sweet child but is still a child nonetheless. Cilghal has agreed?"

Luke nodded. "She was only too happy to aid the Jedi in the training of another healer."

"I think Dilys will be happy with that," Tionne decided.

"What about the others?" asked Kirana Ti.

"I've been in contact with Kyle Katarn and hope to speak to Kyp Durron soon," said Kam. "Kyle agreed that he would be happy to take on some of the others to aid in their learning curve and I'm quite sure that Kyp would be also."

"As apprentices?" asked Tionne curiously. First Master Skywalker had taken on a single apprentice and now it looked as if her husband advocated that decision by sending the other students to work with Katarn and Durron. She wasn't sure if that was the best choice. They still didn't have the numbers to train this way.

"As Knights," Kam said decisively. "Almost like working a probationary year. Yes, they could be granted the status of full knighthood but with the proviso they operate with established knights in the field."

"We don't have that many of those." Kirana Ti muttered, confirming Tionne's own opinion.

"Perhaps this is one way of providing more?" Streen pronounced with a dreamy smile. "As the wind blows our Jedi to all parts of the galaxy…"

"We can promote the order and perhaps find more potential recruits." Kam clasped his hands together eagerly.

"What about Mara Jade?" Tionne wondered aloud as Streen went off into his own little dream world.

Luke sighed. "Mara achieved real mastery of the Force a long time ago. She is one of the most talented potential Jedi I have ever seen. It was only in the way that she saw the Jedi and dealt with her abilities in her own mind that held her back from progressing further. She had to become one of us - live, learn and work with us…"

"And _has_ she learned?" asked Kirana Ti.

"Her physical skills are outstanding," Kam answered, with a glance at Luke.

The Jedi Master smiled. "She has had to survive for many years by using those skills. She wasn't ready to join us before. She needed time to determine her own destiny - to be free to make her own decisions."

"Free…" echoed Tionne.

"We are all free," said Kirana Ti loftily.

"Are we really?" Luke's smile was bittersweet. "Mara had served the Emperor for many years. After she had regained her freedom from Palpatine, she was not ready to tie herself down to another form of servitude. She was not ready to tie her life to the Jedi." He spread his hands on the table, his palms facing upwards. "She has shown that she is ready now. I think she has learned."

"Enough?" Kirana Ti's voice was hostile. "But has she learned enough?" she repeated.

"To please even you, Kirana Ti?" Luke answered calmly.

"Are you suggesting that I would be harder on Mara Jade than the other students?" Her eyes flashed with irritation.

"It is possible. Search your feelings. What do they tell you?" He gave the Dathomirian witch a hard stare. She was tough on the students and at times they needed that firmness but her weakness was her intolerance for others. In Mara she had a worthy opponent. Mara could be just as inflexible as she was.

"Mara came through her trials a long time ago," Luke admitted. "I could have conferred the rank of Jedi Knight upon her at any time…"

"But she wasn't ready in the ways that counted," Kam finished softly. "She did not have the approval of the establishment."

"You've known her for many years, Kam. She didn't see herself as Jedi material. She freed herself from the Emperor's last command but couldn't tie herself to something that she had been taught all her life to hate. That kind of conditioning is hard to break."

"None of us have had an easy life," Kirana Ti interrupted.

"Of course not," Luke placated. "But our lives, easy or hard, are not what's up for discussion."

Kirana Ti flushed. "I admit I have been suspicious of Mara Jade's arrival here on Yavin. I viewed her with an opinion gained from information I had received from the holo-press. I am sorry to say that I did not judge her fairly."

Luke bristled slightly. "Mara is not easy to get to know and she's had good reason to be this way," he said pointedly.

"Perhaps I was wrong," the Jedi woman continued reluctantly, gazing down at the polished wooden surface of the table. "Mara Jade and I will never be close friends. Our personalities are too abrasive for that – perhaps we are too alike." She lifted her head and stared straight at Luke, a challenging tilt to her chin. "I do respect her and her abilities and have been impressed with her dedication here on Yavin. She will make a fine knight although I'm not convinced she is ready now."

"She is. There is no one more ready." Luke nibbled on his well-shaped lips thoughtfully and then slanted an oblique glance across the table in silent communication with Kam who gave a swift nod. "Yes?"

"Yes, I think so," Kam agreed, his grey eyes glinting. He had witnessed with interest and admiration Mara's drive for acceptance amongst them and, in his opinion, she had more than succeeded. "The other students have acknowledged her as one of them and can see how hard she has worked. They have all upped their own work rate to match hers."

Luke straightened in his chair. "Knight Ti…"

"Master Skywalker?"

"Master Solusar has a diplomatic mission for you to undertake."

"A _diplomatic _mission!" Kirana Ti's mouth dropped open. "I am no diplomat."

"I had noticed," Luke murmured with a glint in his eye. "Perhaps it is time to hone up your skills in that direction. Our students are not the only ones who still have things to learn. Our own journey through the Force should never cease."

She flushed. "I'm sorry."

"I understand." He rose from his chair and smiled genially at Kam. "I'll leave you to impart all the details to Kirana Ti."

He left a stunned silence in his wake, with Kam grinning cryptically at the others. With a smile, he indicated that the others should leave as he pushed a data reader across the table towards the Dathomirian woman.

"_What!_" Kirana Ti almost exploded as her eyes took in the details. "The Outer Rim! But that will take…"

"It is a little strange but I think it is a good plan for all of you. The New Republic asked for the Jedi to be present."

"But they don't want me…"

"Of course they don't. All worlds want Master Skywalker but he is trying to spread his load amongst us all. We should all expect field work in the near future."

He was going to have visitors this evening. Luke gazed regretfully at the holo-book he would hopefully have relaxed with. He could feel the unsettled mind of Kirana Ti making its way towards his quarters. She obviously wanted to consult with him about the mission he and Kam had given her. Mara had gone to the gym to spar with some of the other students, leaving Luke alone to catch up on his correspondence. That wasn't going to happen anytime soon. He activated the door control and watched her approach.

There was no doubt in Luke's mind about Kirana Ti's capabilities to undertake this mission. Whether she could handle Mara in a potentially difficult situation was another story. Mara would test the Dathomirian witch.

He sent out a light probe checking on the whereabouts of his apprentice although he didn't need to. He knew where she was at all times on Yavin IV. He could feel her hold on the Force; see her brow furrow in concentration as she taught the other Jedi students how a lightsaber should be wielded. Reluctantly he relinquished his monitoring of Mara.

"Come in," he said to Kirana Ti. "I was expecting you."

Kirana Ti deflated slightly. "I suppose I should have known."

"I could sense your unrest from the dining room." Luke ushered her towards his lounge area and pushed a small glass of Borleias Claret towards her. "Sit down and relax. It's not the latest version of the Kessel Run that I'm going to send you on."

"It's not?" she queried wryly with the first sign of humour he had seen in her all day. "Thank you." Kirana sat on the edge of the sofa, her fingers closing around the delicate stem of the glass. "But…Master Skywalker… _Me_ with Mara Jade?"

"And Ix Io," Luke added gently, seating himself across from her.

"But Mara is your student."

"So?"

"She's more used to working with you."

"That is true but perhaps she needs to expand that area of her training. I may not always be around for her to work with. The future is always in motion after all. Mara is a gifted student and she is capable of adapting to all situations. Apart from here on Yavin, Ix Io is not used to dealing with beings of other species. This mission is vital to him too. It's not all about Mara Jade. You should know that."

"Explain exactly why you are sending me?"

"I thought I just did." Luke's voice was gentle but firm. "I do not have the luxury of having Jedi who just teach. Until we build up our numbers we have to be more versatile. I have thought for some time that your taste for adventure as befits the members of your race has dulled. You have become a little too set in your ways."

Kirana Ti's head drooped a little. The Master was correct. Life on Yavin IV was never predictable but it was safe. She was becoming complacent. "I must apologise again," she said, lifting her head, her greenish-brown eyes bright."

"You have nothing to apologise for, Kirana. To be honest, this is more a test for Mara Jade and Ix Io. I have noticed they work well together in class. It is precisely because you and Mara have the occasional conflict of personalities that I have chosen you to head this mission. I believe you could out-stubborn Ix Io and certainly can counter Mara. This is what she needs."

"I can see your logic. I'm not entirely sure if I understand but…"

"This is also the nearest thing Kam and I can devise to Mara and Ix Io's trials. He will be joining us shortly."

"Their _trials_?" Kirana Ti questioned. "I know we spoke about them being ready but I did not realise it was so imminent."

The door chime sounded but Luke was already on his feet heading towards the door. "Kam," he greeted the other man. "A small glass of the…?"

"Just a small one," Kam said with a chuckle as he joined Kirana Ti in the lounge area. "Or my wife will never let me out of her sight without her again."

"Kam," Kirana Ti acknowledged him, her face grave.

Luke handed Kam his glass and sat opposite the two Jedi. "My first students," he murmured, a whimsical smile crossing his face. "Have I ever said how proud I am of what you have achieved?"

"Yes, Luke," Kam said. "You have on many occasions. Our next batch of initiates will make you just as proud."

"Maybe more so," Kirana Ti said in a low voice.

"Being a Jedi means that you have to give up many things and conquer traits that many others prize – arrogance, aggression, overconfidence, recklessness…I can talk about that last one – can't I?" He looked up, his eyes bright. "That's one I never quite conquered." Luke ran his finger around the rim of his glass. "I'm preaching at you and that's the last thing I meant to do tonight."

"We're not in this for the money, the glory or the power. We can take a little preaching, Luke," Kam said with a warm smile. "Our strength is that of the Force. We can withstand much."

The Jedi Master laughed. "I'm glad of that." Then his face turned serious. "We have a duty to the beings of the galaxy. But we also have a responsibility to our own people. A Jedi's trials must show that they have a facility as well as strength with the Force."

"Both Ix Io and Mara have that," Kirana Ti admitted.

"They are both conversant with the code…" Luke broke off and gave a wry chuckle. "In fact, Mara has rewritten it to suit the new Jedi order and possibly herself. She has thought long and hard about it mainly because I used to quote it at her at any opportunity."

Kam laughed. "You quoted it to me quite often as I recall."

"What!" Luke's face was one of mock surprise. "Did I?"

Kam grinned, the smile making his face look younger. "I can just see Mara trying to argue against the code and succeeding."

Luke grimaced. "Much of what she said was quite relevant. The code was a main part of the old order and they did not survive. We cannot operate the same way as they did. They had thousands of Jedi."

"And we have fifty?"

"At the most…yes. With the same number at present in the Academy." Luke shrugged. "Our work continues. A hundred Jedi." He smiled. "I would like to live to see a thousand."

"And we will, Master Skywalker," Kirana Ti promised. "My tribe sister, Damaya Rell from the Singing Mountain Clan, has agreed to come and help us here on Yavin IV. She is a most accomplished spell caster and since her own time at the Academy has become proficient with a lightsaber. She will bring my daughter with her. My daughter's father wanted her with him and the rest of my family on Dathomir. As I felt she was better there for the time being I agreed but she is strong with the Force and is now ready to begin her training. It is time that she joined the Jedi here on Yavin IV. I received word only yesterday that she is ready to travel."

"Her name is Damaris?" asked Kam.

Kirana Ti's stern face broke into a tender smile. "Yes. I have missed her very much."

"I look forward to meeting her," Luke said with a smile. "I was away the last time she visited you."

"It has been difficult being so far away from my daughter."

"Wait until you return from this mission," Luke said. "Then you can be with her as soon as she arrives. It will be good to have Damaya with us, also. I remember her saber work," Luke commented thoughtfully. "If I recall, she had started working with two sabers."

"Yes, I believe you are right, Luke. She can help the students in their saber proficiency," Kam agreed.

"Both Mara and Ix Io are already proficient with a lightsaber. The Nazzar has constructed his own whereas Mara has not. She still uses my old one."

"Could she construct one if she had to?" asked Kirana Ti.

"Oh yes," answered Kam. "She told me only yesterday that if she had to she would but prefers using the one she currently has."

"I can vouch for their self-defence skills," Kirana Ti said. "Mara has of great help in teaching the senior class."

"I did know that. Mara was pleased to be asked. It was a good idea," Luke praised the Dathomirian warmly. He had been hard on Kirana Ti, with good reason but in this instance she had done well. "It made Mara feel as if she was useful to the Jedi order. She doesn't want to be a passenger on Yavin IV and her self-defence skills are amongst the most formidable in the galaxy."

"This mission…" Kirana Ti said hesitantly.

Kam passed her a data-card. "Here's some new information I received from the New Republic representative only an hour ago. You will leave at the end of this week. It will give you time to prepare."

Luke's head lifted as if he was listening for something and a smile crossed his face. "Excuse me a moment." He got to his feet and headed towards the small kitchen. Kam and Kirana Ti could hear the sounds of the water boiler being switched on.

The door to the apartment slid open and Mara Jade wandered in, her face flushed from exercise. When she saw the other Jedi sitting there, her face fell.

'Interesting', thought Kam. Mara wanted to be alone with the Jedi Master. "Hello Mara."

"Hello," the red-haired woman answered warily. "I wasn't aware that there was a staff meeting tonight," she said, glancing at Luke with concern.

_'I'm fine, Jade,'_ he said through their link. '_Stop worrying.'_

Kam sighed wearily. It had been a long day. "We're almost finished here….training?"

"Just a little saber workout with Ix Io and Pod Nor," she answered, her gaze darting warily between Kam and Kirana.

Luke wandered towards them, a steaming mug of chocolate in his hand. "Here," he said, in the manner of something being part of a routine.

"Thanks," Mara brought the mug to her lips and gave a tiny sip, her eyes closed with satisfaction.

Kam couldn't help but notice that Luke watched every tiny nuance of expression on Mara's face.

"What is it?" she asked opening her eyes, her face tightening suspiciously as she glanced first at Luke and then at the others. "Is something wrong? You're not going away again?" she asked Luke.

"No, I'm not going anywhere for the moment and no, nothing's wrong," he soothed but he knew she could feel the heightened tension in the room.

"Why don't I believe you, Skywalker," Mara said wryly.

"I don't know why. Honestly, Jade. Nothing is wrong." He nodded at Kam and Kirana Ti. "I'll tell her."

"If you are sure?" Kam said.

"Of course. It will be fine," he answered.

"Tell me what?" Mara's voice rose. "What will be fine? ..._Skywalker_!"

Kam winced slightly and got hastily to his feet. "I will see you tomorrow," he said. "Come, Kirana."

"But…"

"I think we will leave Master Skywalker to break the news to Mara."

"Coward," Luke quipped with a smile.

Mara placed her mug of chocolate on the low table and subsided into the soft cushions of her favourite couch waiting for Luke to see the other Jedi to the door.

Luke grinned as he watched Kam and Kirana vanish into the night. Mara was being surprisingly patient.

"Stop grinning, farmboy," she said caustically. "And don't deny it. I know you are smirking. I can tell from the way you are standing there."

"You can tell that much from the back of my head," Luke said mildly without turning round.

"I don't need to see your face," she muttered. "Now come back here and spill."

"Yes, Ma'am."

But when he returned to sit opposite her, Mara noted that his face was that of the serious Jedi Master. "The Jedi have been asked to send representatives to oversee a treaty signing between the New Republic and a star system on the far side of the galaxy."

"And you have to go away again," Mara burst out. "You are not the only Jedi able to do these things. Then you're not going without me…"

"Mara…" Luke held up his hands. "Steady. I'm not the one that's going. Kirana Ti will be in charge of the mission."

"You're not going?" Mara knew she ought to feel relief but apprehension twisted a knot inside her stomach. "Well, that's all right, isn't it?"

"She needs the experience in heading up this kind of mission."

"Fine," Mara snapped. "But there's still something else."

"Yes, there is. Kirana Ti is very strong in the Force and it will ensure she follows the correct path. _You_ and Ix Io will be accompanying her."

There was a momentary silence. "Me and Ix Io? _We_ will accompany Kirana Ti on a mission. But why me? I can understand her choosing Ix Io but Kirana Ti is not overly fond of me…" she slowed and understanding dawned. "Kirana Ti did not ask for me. You told her I was going."

"In a manner of speaking. Kam and I both agreed."

"But I'm _your_ apprentice."

"What's that got to do with it?" Luke replied carefully. "This is the most time we have spent together in all our years of friendship. As a Jedi, you serve the Force."

Mara's face fell, the disappointment radiating from her in waves. "You do not think I'm ready to be a Jedi knight. You do not want…"

"Stop." Luke's voice cut across what she was going to say. "It is because I do think that you are ready that I'm sending you on this mission. This is your final test."

Mara's mouth dropped open in surprise. She hadn't expected that. Luke seemed determined to drop surprises on top of her unsuspecting head. "What are you going to do?"

"Oh… A bit of this and that. Catch up on some of my research. Perhaps try and relax."

Mara snorted. "Sure."

"I can relax, Mara."

"I'm not saying that you can't, farmboy. It's just that I've never seen it happen. Hoth becoming the next resort world is fractionally more likely." She moved to sit beside him and took his hands in hers. Luke started a little at her touch. "There's still something you're not telling me?"

"I'm the Jedi Master," he grumbled. "And I can't keep a secret worth a damn from you. Why is that?"

Mara opened her mouth and then closed it.

"Wise answer, Jade," he said, a smile coming and going from his lips. "But you are right. There is more."

"Am I a Jedi, Master Skywalker?" she asked, her face turned up to his, the expression on it so trusting that Luke's heart turned over inside him. His hands tightened on hers. "In all the things that matter – yes."

"So this _is_ the final test."

"I said that."

"I didn't understand."

"But you do now?"

"Well… Not really. Why this mission?"

Luke lifted his hand and traced the smooth curve of her cheek, startled to find that his hand was shaking slightly. He'd sent other Jedi off on missions before this. He'd even sent Mara off to do some foolhardy stunt or other. This wasn't a dangerous trip but then, he'd told himself that before. It wasn't why she was going – it was where.

"Mara…this trip is to Elrood."


	29. Part 29

**The Emerald Price Chapter 29**

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**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you? My thanks also to Niqella and Rhea for their encouragement and invaluable suggestions.

**Yavin IV**

Mara gave a last look around the little room she'd spent the last few months inhabiting as she finished packing her carryall.

She sensed him come and stand at her door, his emotions clouded but she could see right through him now. She understood he was trying to keep his feelings from her, understood how he saw things, but she wished she could change his point of view. She could have wept with frustration. All her plans to make him confess those feelings had fallen into disarray. He'd been weakening - she'd seen it - and now he had a chance to rebuild his defences.

Mara's shoulders slumped. Who was she trying to fool? Only herself. Luke was still clinging to his outdated notion that romantic love was not for him. Of course it was for him. Why shouldn't he have what everyone else had? Mara suspected that the other Jedi on Yavin IV were not ignorant of their feelings for one another but instead of bringing them closer were driving them farther apart. Didn't his friends want him to be happy?

What if he happened to change his mind while she was gone?

She closed her bag and fastened it securely, her mind trying to think of a reason not to go. The fact that she was returning to the Kathol Rift didn't affect her at all. Kam Solusar knew that she'd come to grief on a run for Karrde out there but he wasn't in possession of all the facts – Luke was. That was one of the reasons Mara didn't think that Kam was solely behind this mission.

But Leia and Han's words came back to her. '_You have to get your knighthood, Mara.'_ They were right. She had no chance with this stubborn son of a Sith until she could meet him head on. At the moment, he was the Master and she, his apprentice. '_He will love you but is the Jedi Master first.'_

_'Okay…' _she told herself. _'I get it.'_

_'Consider your current position…your current position.'_

_'Yes, I get it.' _Bloody Skywalker and his ethics. Mara clenched her fists and swivelled to face the man still standing silently in the doorway.

"Mara…"

She turned her head away, fearful of what her face might tell him. Her eyes fell on the lightsaber crystal displayed prominently on the set of shelves next to her narrow bed. He said he would take it back when she achieved the rank of a Jedi Knight. What if she never…

No, she had to stop thinking so negatively. Mara couldn't believe that the Force would deny them both the chance of happiness together. She would attain her goal, she vowed firmly, and then she would try her utmost to change his mind. He deserved a home and a family life and Mara was the one woman in the entire galaxy who could give him what he wanted. She could match him in every department. A smile flitted over her lips. Yes, _every _department. Luke was always quoting that phrase of Yoda's at her. '_Do or do not.' _Mara Jade was going to _'do'._

The emerald gem was dull, as if all the life had drained away. Her hand reached out towards it, willing it to show the same mysterious spark it had shown previously. It was as though the crystal knew something she did not. Lightly she brushed its hard surface with the tip of her finger and somewhere deep inside - it began to flicker with a steadfast glow.

Mara understood. This object had somehow, through its connection with them and the Force, tapped into their hearts and minds. It was linked strongly to both Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade. Luke had dismantled his Jedi weapon to save her. Did he realise the enormity of what he had done?

"You will take care of yourself?" Mara said, not looking at him, her gaze focused on the lightsaber jewel. She reckoned that the Force had called on her to regain the gem and she remembered the strange compulsion that had come over her. She'd _had_ to return to Tharakan's lair. It was the one little thing that made her sure that the Force approved. "You _will_ take care of yourself," she repeated.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you to do that?" Luke replied, his voice low and a little rough, as if he was fighting to keep back his emotions.

For the first time, she met his gaze squarely, her chin lifting proudly. Luke was dressed in his best Jedi blacks, his knee boots polished and his cloak over his shoulders.

"You look…" Mara wanted to say that he looked wonderful but came out with "…smart." She shrugged but the casual gesture didn't fool Luke. "Thank you," he said. "You actually approve of my clothes."

"I didn't quite go that far, farmboy," she replied dryly. "There's a time and a place. I guess this is one of them. Luke…I aim to do my best to make you proud of me."

Luke could feel the conflicting emotions rolling off Mara but couldn't decipher exactly what she was feeling. There was sadness and regret, frustration and determination. She wanted to prove herself to him.

Luke stepped forward and placed his hand carefully on her slender green-clad shoulder. "You don't have to prove anything to me, Mara," he whispered. "You never have. I've always been proud of anything you have achieved." His voice cracked and he looked away from her, something in the set of his jaw showing how moved he was.

"Thank you," Mara murmured.

Luke pasted a smile on his face and inspected his apprentice. "I like it," he pronounced of her dark green tunic styled similar to his black one. "I didn't know if you would accept this. I still don't." He handed her a soft, tissue-wrapped parcel and watched indulgently as she ripped it open with the eagerness of a small child.

It was a Jedi cloak in the same shade of dark green as her tunic.

"How did you…?" Mara began.

"I don't know. It was a lucky guess. I hope you will accept it."

"Lucky guess, my hairy Wookiee." Mara grinned, her fingers stroking the soft material reverently. "Thank you, Master Skywalker." She shook it out from its folds and placed it about her shoulders. Then, lifting her hand, she called her lightsaber to her and fastened it to the belt at her waist.

"You look perfect," Luke said gruffly, his emotions threatening to get the better of him at the sight of her. She was a Jedi Knight in everything but name.

The air between them was pregnant with all the things they wanted to say to one another but thought that the other would never be ready to hear. Mara wanted to fling away all her caution and just tell him but the time wasn't right and she knew it. Leia and Han's advice had been simple. She had to wait.

"I will monitor you through the Force for as long as I can," Luke said.

"This bond between us," Mara said quietly. "It's unlike anything I've ever known. Not even the Emperor was so attuned to me."

Luke's blue eyes widened. "Do you think so?"

"Yes. Palpatine could call to me from anywhere in the galaxy but he never really thought about me as a person. I think in time the connection we have will be more immediate and of greater depth." Mara couldn't tell Luke that the sketchy research she had done on such things indicated that she and Luke had started forging something that could be construed as a mating bond. Had she had such a thing with the Emperor? Mara shuddered. She'd certainly been married to her job but the Emperor had never touched her sexually and she hadn't felt for him what she now felt for Luke.

Her observations of the Solusars – the only married Jedi pair she'd ever known - had given her much food for thought. There had not been a wealth of information on mated Jedi. Tionne Solusar's Force potential was weak. Therefore, she and Kam functioned almost like Han and Leia did. The Solos were closer than any couple she had ever seen but Mara wondered if Leia ever missed the true closeness that mating with another Jedi would bring? Of course, Leia had never known that to start with so why would she miss something that she had never had.

Mara wondered what it would be like when she and Luke finally made love. They would do so - she had no doubt that they must - because she was aching for the closeness such an experience would bring. All she had to do was convince Skywalker that it was the right thing to do. Easier said than done. He had sounded resigned to his fate when he'd talked with Solo.

Looking at him made her remember the disquiet written across his handsome face when she'd brought the idea of sexual passion into the Jedi code. She'd sown the seeds and would just have to nurture them to ensure that they grew. Luke Skywalker belonged to her; she was going to make sure that he knew it. But then she remembered that she was going away on a mission – for the Jedi.

"Mara…Are you all right?" Anxiety coloured the Jedi Master's voice. She seemed in a strange mood - almost distant. Was it the return to the Outer Rim where she'd nearly died in a slaver's prison? She was staring at him again, he thought. It was almost as if she were trying to get inside his head. She was already in his heart and sometimes he wondered what he would do if she found out how he really felt. Would she leave him?

Mara picked up her small carryall and then dropped it.

"Mara…"

"Luke…I…" She stepped forward and threw her arms around Luke.

He could feel her shaking. Luke almost gasped aloud in surprise. Mara was _nervous_. He stretched out a little and probed her shields. She wasn't worried about her ability to function as a Jedi – it was more the responsibility of representing the Jedi.

She could feel his heart beating as she pressed against him, smelling the masculine aroma of the cleaning solution he favoured mingled with the essence of Luke himself.

He stood stiffly in shock as Mara threw herself against him, her body flush against his, the fragrance of her perfume wrapping around him. He couldn't help but think of the curvaceous body beneath her clothes. Mara Jade was all woman. Then with a strangled groan which seemed to come from deep inside him, Luke's hands moved and came up to pull her against him even tighter. "You'll be fine," he said, his voice muffled against her hair. She tried to maintain this cold, hard front but Luke could see through it more and more to the real woman beneath. Hostility and anger could hide so many things but not from him – never from him. But then he'd always been able to see Mara differently from everyone else. "Come on," he said, patting her shoulder. "I'd better get you to the shuttle before Kirana Ti sends out a search party."

Mara looked up into his face, searching for some kind of reassurance. She must have found it because she nodded. "And we don't want to get a Dathomirian witch mad."

"Exactly."

"Luke…"

"You've done far scarier things than this, Jade."

"I know." Her eyes darkened. "But they never mattered as much as this does."

"Go." He dropped a light kiss on her forehead. "I'll escort you to the shuttle."

A lump formed in the back of Mara's throat. She wasn't normally this sentimental. She swallowed, blinking rapidly. The Jedi had done this to her. But she couldn't dig up her usual invective. No, she, Mara Jade, was one of them – a Jedi. She couldn't go back to what she had been and she didn't want to. "When I return things will be different."

Luke opened his mouth.

"And don't give me all that 'future in motion' stuff." She managed to give him one of her old glares. There was still part of the assassin there hidden beneath the new Jedi. "I know things will be different."

Luke shrugged, the smile picking up at the corner of his lips. "Who me?"

"Yeah, you," she sighed. "You know it too."

"Yes."

Luke held out his arm and, with a last look at her room, she turned and headed out of the apartment. They walked in silence through the trees until they reached the landing pad. The Jedi shuttle sat there, durable and dependable, its ramp lowered and the sound of the engines a low hum into the fading light of Yavin's dusk.

"The others are on board. Are you ready?" Luke asked.

Mara gave a smile. "As I'll ever be." She glanced at the ship and muttered, "I'll try not to maim anyone seriously while we're away."

"Thanks, I would appreciate that. We're short of Jedi as it is."

"Don't mention it. I've kinda got used to having them around." She flipped him a jaunty little salute and then hesitated at the foot of the landing ramp. "Luke…"

The Jedi Master approached and stared down into her green eyes. "Yes?"

"I just wanted…" Taking a deep breath, she reached up and brought his head down to hers, her lips covering his. Her lips were soft and as they pleasingly parted under his, Luke could only groan deep in his throat. How could he live without experiencing this sweet heaven time and time again? His arms wound around her slender body and gathered her closer. She was confusing his mind, teasing his senses but he couldn't stop this kiss.

Eventually they had to separate. They had not so lost themselves that they were unable to finish but it would have been so easy just to continue their kiss into another level of intimacy. But this wasn't their time. Luke swallowed as he took in her, flushed face with her swollen lips and the slumberous, unsuppressed look of passion filling her green gaze. "Gods, Mara. We shouldn't…"

"We should," she affirmed, her voice husky. "I just wanted to say goodbye, Luke. You cannot deny me a parting kiss – can you?" She touched her lips with her fingers and then picked up her carryall which lay at her feet. Turning, she took a step up the landing ramp and stopped. She looked back at him – her hand holding steady to the ship and there was a look in her eyes that held as much promise as her words. "I will return. After all, I still have your lightsaber crystal."

"So you do," he murmured.

With a last lingering glance at the man who encompassed her whole world, Mara slipped up the ramp and minutes later the shuttle was airborne.

Luke stayed and watched the ship vanish from sight, his lips still tingling and his heart hammering. What was she doing to him and more importantly, how was he to withstand the power of her sensual onslaught? What did she really feel for him? For the first time, Luke began to think like a man and not a Jedi. Mara wasn't the kind of woman to lead someone on. Her 'arrangement' with Lando Calrissian aside, she did not pursue indiscriminate affairs. In fact apart from that unnecessary episode, Luke hadn't seen her with any man in the entire length of time he had known her. Could she be…? He squashed the unexpected shoot of hope that sprang from the shell encasing his heart. Yes, he loved her but he wasn't planning on having that love returned. He had the Jedi.

But somewhere and somehow, the little shoot squeezed through its barriers and began to grow.

Kam Solusar glanced at his wife as Mara and Luke continued their embrace. "So?"

"It's happened then."

"No, I don't think it has." He could see the couple reluctantly separate, an air of confusion hanging around them.

"Yes, it has. He kissed her."

"I believe _she_ kissed _him_."

"Oh!" his wife muttered. "…didn't look one-sided to me."

"You think so?"

"I was one of the people who did not approve of Mara Jade being on Yavin IV," "Tionne admitted, watching Mara run into the shuttle. "But she surprised even me."

"You are a sensible, broad-minded being, my love," Kam said. "You think only of the welfare of the Jedi Order but can be persuaded to most things if they are reasonable. I suspect that the only one not surprised about how well Mara has fitted in is the Master himself. He has always believed in her."

"Yes, but he loves her. It's quite clear to anyone who knows him well."

"Love doesn't always constitute blindness," Kam rebuked gently. "Luke is as aware of Mara's faults as she is."

"I suppose so…" Tionne's mouth curved, her smile mischievous. "I am aware of your faults."

"You are cruel, my love."

"I am honest," she replied.

"I married a woman without faults," he said gallantly.

"Your good qualities far exceed your deficiencies. That's why I'm keeping you." Her arm snaked around his waist.

Kam chuckled. "Luke has always known what lies deep in Mara Jade's soul and has always had faith in her innate goodness."

"Mara Jade is a good person." Tionne's smile was wistful. "Yes, I've seen evidence of her kindness. She doesn't like to have it pointed out or made much of. She tries to hide her better nature behind a wall of sarcasm and hostility."

"I think it's a form of insecurity. There is also pride, uncertainty and perhaps a fear of failure. These things are not excluded from the ranks of the Jedi. Mara has been alone for a long time – probably for most of her life. Her hostility is a defence mechanism; never let anyone get close and you won't get hurt."

"That could apply to someone else we know and love."

"Yes, Luke is still fighting his attraction to Mara. Hell, it's far more than that. I hope he suffers a defeat this time because I think Mara is out to win more than just her knighthood. She is aware of her feelings and possibly even his."

"You could be right. What's holding him back?"

Kam's grey eyes grew reflective. "Mmm…" he mused thoughtfully. "At a guess, I would say - the Jedi."

"The Jedi?" Tionne echoed softly.

"Yes, the very thing that brought them together is also keeping them apart. He has dedicated his life to the Jedi."

"But he _needs_ her," Tionne protested. "Our beloved Master is not someone designed to live his life alone."

"Ah, the kiss."

"They both enjoyed it," Tionne murmured. "I could feel it through the Force. I know how I feel when…"

"A kiss." He smiled. "A good idea." Kam brought his own head down and brushed his lips across hers.

"Kam!"

"Yes?"

Tionne smiled, her silvery eyes mysterious, and pulled his head down to hers. "Nothing."

They drew apart and Kam smiled at his wife in the deepening gloom. "You take my breath away every single time, my love."

Tionne nestled against her husband. "Can Luke not see our happiness? Can he not understand that he could have something like this?"

"I think he could and did but now… well…" Kam sighed, his gaze trained on the man standing gazing up into the sky after the departing ship as if he could follow its progress all the way to the Outer Rim. "He's been hurt too many times by people he thought he could trust…"

"Don't you mean women?" Tionne interrupted.

"Yes, I do. Mara is the most important of all the women he's loved but this time the risk to his heart is too great. Luke Skywalker's love for Mara Jade is as strong as his passion for the Jedi. And don't quote the code at me," he said as Tionne opened her mouth to do exactly that. "I'm not convinced the Old Republic Jedi had everything so right." He trailed a finger across his wife's cheek. "Come on, let us go and talk to Luke. He's had enough time to get himself together." His smile was just visible in the darkness. "Luke!"

The Jedi Master lifted his head and turned towards the voice and presences in the Force. "How long have you been there?" Had they seen his exchange with Mara, he wondered, bridling. He hadn't sensed them but he'd been too involved with his wonderful red-head. How he felt about the beautiful woman was his business.

"Oh, not long," Kam answered, deliberately vague. He linked his arm with Tionne's and strolled towards the other man. "We decided to come and see you off."

"Thanks," Luke said, relaxing. "I appreciate it."

Tionne frowned. "Kirana Ti still does not know that you are also bound for Elrood?"

Luke grimaced. "Yes, she knows now. It was on the data card from the commission dealing with Elrood's application to join the New Republic. 'Master Skywalker will be present in an advisory capacity only.' I don't think she was too happy about it. I think she felt I was undermining her chance to head the mission. I had to tell her what I could. But she is not the problem."

Kam raised an eyebrow.

"I am there primarily to observe Mara and Ix Io. Mara…she can sense when I'm near. We have this…_bond_ – this powerful connection."

"A master-apprentice bond like the one I had with my father," Kam concluded lightly but a quick glance at his wife's face showed that she was thinking along different lines. She gave a miniscule shake of her head which Kam guessed meant 'not now'. He had his suspicions too. A full Jedi mating bond hadn't been seen amongst the Jedi for many years. In fact it had been rare in his father's time. It figured that Luke would be the one to experience it and not realise what he had.

Luke's face brightened. "I considered that. You must tell me exactly how that worked but not right now. I really should get going although I will arrive long before they do. I need to spend the time working on my shields and I have one or two things to check when I get there."

"Do you expect trouble?"

"Actually, no. That's why I sent Kirana Ti. To give her some experience outside of Yavin IV and Dathomir, and to let her see Mara as she really is. Ix Io needs a chance to spread his wings. He will make an excellent Jedi and he already knows that to do so means you have to make sacrifices."

"Is your ship prepped?" asked Tionne, staring at the X-wing illuminated by the lights around the landing pad.

"Yes." Luke made a face. "I'm borrowing Vart. He should have it ready to fly by now. I've given him enough time. Artoo is much more efficient."

"Vart?" Kam shuddered. "You're brave. That has to be the most useless droid…"

"There wasn't anything else. Artoo's on Coruscant with Threepio."

"May the Force be with you," Kam said. "You are going to need it. _Vart!_" The last word was muttered under his breath. "That droid needs a personality transplant. You might have been better flying without an astromech."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Perhaps Vart needs a chance to prove himself like any other droid."

"Possibly but I doubt it," Kam muttered.

"I warned Kirana Ti to expect me on Elrood but that I would try not to interfere too much with what was going on. I did not, however, warn her about the shuttle modifications I…er…performed."

"We both agreed, Luke," Kam said. "Kirana Ti has to learn to co-operate more. She is a teacher and has to set a good example to the students. Both Mara and Ix Io are far more experienced in shuttle maintenance than Kirana Ti."

"You've mapped yourself a route?" Tionne asked quietly.

"Of course," Luke tapped the side of his head. "All in here."

"Clear skies, Luke, and may the Force be with you," Kam said solemnly.

Luke mounted the ladder and slipped inside the cockpit of his x-wing. "Thanks."

****

**Somewhere in Hyperspace – three days later**

The atmosphere in the shuttle for most of the journey had been a little strained. Mara got on well enough with the Nazzar but neither she nor Ix Io had much in common with Kirana Ti. Ix Io had set the course decided upon by Kam Solusar into the navicomp and after that had spent the time he wasn't sleeping or eating deep in a Jedi or possibly an Ulizra text. He may have been banished by his home world but he wasn't about to forget the religious beliefs that had sustained him for most of his life. Kirana Ti, after spending much of the first two days meditating, had picked up a remote and her lightsaber and had headed to the largest space on the ship – the cargo hold.

It left Mara with too much time on her hands to think. She would have liked nothing better than to spend an hour batting shots back and forth with a training remote. This was a very small ship to be confined in for a week. She was trying not to think too much about Luke but he kept slipping into her mind when she least expected him to.

Perhaps she could work on her seduction plans. It was as good as meditation. She closed her eyes and focused on bringing Luke's image into her mind. She gave a smile of satisfaction – all too easy. He stood before her, a look in his clear blue eyes that told her all she needed to know about his feelings for her. She tried to get him to remove the black shirt he was wearing but her vision remained obdurate. Her dream Luke was behaving exactly like the real one – stubborn.

The engine missed a beat.

The first time it happened, Mara ignored it. The second and third time she did not. "Kirana Ti," Mara shouted. "We're coming out of hyperspace. Ix Io, I need you to check the navacomp data. Find out exactly where we are and whether we need to hide or not." With complete confidence, Mara assumed control.

The Nazzar uncoiled his tall body from the chair he'd been strapped into and moved to the co-pilot's chair with remarkable swiftness to do her bidding. Mara's fingers danced across the controls as she caught the ship's fluctuations.

"The Force is with us," he breathed as the star lines reverted into real space. "We are, in truth, in the middle of nowhere."

Mara didn't think she was unduly suspicious but this had all the hallmarks of a set up. "I want you to check the calibrations on all these instruments."

Kirana Ti moved swiftly into the cockpit. "The shuttle was completely checked over before we left."

"By you?" Mara's voice was dry as she slid from the pilot's seat.

Kirana Ti frowned. There was just something in the other woman's voice. "No, I'm not very good with hyperdrive engines."

"Ah, but I am." Mara's lips curled. "That damn…"

"Mara?" Ix Io said quietly. "Everything I looked at is just slightly out of synch with itself. This is what has caused the ship to revert to real space."

"Just as I thought. Typical son-of-a-sith tactic." Luke was up to something and she should have guessed that he was. Her smile was merely a baring of her teeth. She had felt his unease but had passed it off as something else. "I need a hydrospanner," she said to the Dathomirian witch. "Where are they kept on this bucket of bolts?"

"Supply locker in the crew quarters," she replied quickly. "I'll check the scopes and then help you with repairs. We don't have time to sit around here for long."

"If you could." Mara's smile held little humour. "I smell a large womp-rat in all of this. A large, male, native Tatooine, Jedi Master womp-rat."

"This has been done deliberately?" Ix Io asked.

"Probably," Mara replied airily. "It's a test and exactly the kind of thing Skywalker might spring on us unexpectedly - isn't it?"

Kirana Ti gave a resigned nod. "I should have guessed something like this might happen. You are not the only ones being tested."

"Luke always says that we continue to learn," Mara offered quietly, seeing that the other woman was actually nervous. This was her first mission as leader of a Jedi delegation and she wanted to do her duty to the best of her ability. They all wanted to make Luke proud of them. It was an interesting thought.

"He is right." Kirana Ti's amber eyes glowed. "I wonder when I began to forget that fact. I should not have done so."

Mara's smile was wry. "I'm only suspicious because Karrde did this to me once and I know Luke better than any of you. He can be very sneaky because he's had to fight to survive. I too, have had to fight and I know most of his tricks…nerf!" she muttered. "After the death of the Emperor I had a number of different jobs – some better than others."

"I think we've all experienced those," said Ix Io in a rare display of humour.

Mara looked at her two companions and felt the need to share. "I was working as a hyperdrive mechanic on Varonat when Karrde arrived on an observation trip..."

"Observation trip?" queried Ix Io.

Mara's smile was wicked. "Some low-life scum was making a lot of credits running Morodin-hunting safaris. Karrde wanted to know if there was a piece of the action for him."

"And was there?"

Mara shook his head. "No. The morodin were actually sentient life forms that that piece of filth was killing. And he lost a friend." Her mood dimmed. She'd only known Quelev Tapper briefly but she'd sensed that he'd been a good man. "His second-in-command was killed during that operation.

Karrde reported his ship's hyperdrive as having a problem. I found the fault almost immediately but then my training was thorough. I could appreciate the cunning of Karrde and his associates as I had the best teachers. I was also trained to be cunning."

"Master Skywalker is extremely gifted with things mechanical," Ix Io murmured.

"You have no idea how good he is," Mara grumbled. "Or how cunning."

"Kam Solusar is quite competent in that area too. Oh, not brilliant like the Master but enough to help him do some damage." Kirana Ti grinned at her two companions. "Shall we see if we can fix the problem quickly?"

Mara grinned at Ix Io. "I think we have solved the first challenge."

"The first…oh!" Ix Io stared around at the three of them, ready to work together in perfect harmony. "Yes, I think we have. Do you think that was their intention?"

"Undoubtedly," Kirana Ti muttered.

****

Mara stuck her head into the open access panel in the shuttle's aft compartment. "It all looks fine," she muttered. "But my instincts are on 'Skywalker mischief' alert." She grabbed one of the flux connectors and sighed. "Death Star exhaust port strike," she said. "Surely he knew that I'd pick up on this?"

"Perhaps he did not want to delay us for too long," Kirana Ti said slowly.

"See what you think?" Mara said to Ix Io, who crawled into the space to check.

Ten minutes later he uncoiled his lanky frame and stood up. "Yes, they're only off by a few degrees. It should only take us a few hours to fix them."

"Good," muttered Kirana Ti in relief as she handed the Nazzar the hydrospanner.

"What exactly are we to do on Elrood?" Mara asked.

"We are to be present at some discussions between the New Republic, the ruling party on Elrood and an independent vigilante group on the outlawing of slavery. It's part of Elrood's application to become part of the New Republic."

"Oh," Mara mumbled, an uncomfortable feeling creeping through her.

"Is something wrong, Mara?" Kirana Ti picked up on the sense of disquiet the other woman was experiencing.

"I haven't good memories of Elrood."

"Ah." Kirana Ti pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment. "Are your feelings a warning or just the remnants of what you went through there?"

"I…don't know," Mara replied looking a little startled.

"Then stretch out with your feelings – connect with the Force. It may tell you more." The Dathomirian witch's voice lowered. "When you are calm and at peace…"

Mara took a deep cleansing breath and let all her worries float away and tapped into the bright, shining light Luke Skywalker had opened up to her. The connection was instantaneous and she gasped.

"What is it?"

Mara opened her eyes. "Nothing," she replied, her face serene. "I just felt the Force stronger than anything else in my entire life. We have nothing to worry about."


	30. Part 30

**The Emerald Price Chapter 30**

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**By Ash Darklighter**

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**Disclaimer:**- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you? My thanks also to Niqella and Rhea for their encouragement and invaluable suggestions.

**Elrood Spaceport – The Merry Pirate**

Luke, shrouded in his Jedi cloak, leant on the bar trying to be as inconspicuous as possible as he sipped at a glass of cloudy lum. He couldn't help but remember the cantina in Mos Eisley where he'd gone with Ben the day his life had changed forever. But that was a very long time ago and he was a different man. He couldn't say that he frequented all that many of these places. He tended to look as obvious as a jawa at a stormtrooper's parade.

Jedi senses on full alert, he waited until a vaguely familiar presence walked into the bar - a tall humanoid, his thin face almost skeletal with large black eyes. He'd seen this man once before with Altra and Feenus just before Mara's rescue. This was their friend, Beridor. This was the being he'd been waiting for.

"Mal'orch!" Beridor called to the barkeep. "Usual, please."

The burly barman leaned in close to accept the jewels Beridor handed over in payment and murmured, "Guy along at the end of the bar…the one with the cloak. He's been asking for you."

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"By name?"

"Yeah."

"Keep me covered just in case," he whispered. A stranger asking for him by name was unusual. Beridor stared through the smoky atmosphere and found a pair of bright blue eyes fixed intensely upon him. With a startled sense of recognition, Beridor found he was staring at Prince Aesophas or, rather, the Jedi who had impersonated him. He was in the presence of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. To say that the long dead Emperor Palpatine had just walked into the bar and wanted to buy him a drink was almost more believable.

"Do you know him?" Mal'orch grunted. "You look like a startled…"

"I know who he is." His face creased into a smile. "It was just a surprise, that's all."

"Any problems…"

He shook his head. "There won't be."

Luke picked up his glass and casually moved to a table at the back of the dingy room.

The former slave picked up his own glass and followed. "May I join you?" Beridor asked, his voice low.

"Of course," Luke answered quietly. He waited as the other man placed his glass of lum on the table and pulled out the chair. "Have Feenus and Altra been invited to the talks?" Luke immediately went straight to the main topic without even so much as an introduction. They knew who they both were and without saying a word both of them knew that the trust was there between them

"Yes, they've been invited but they half expect to be arrested at any moment. There are many in the government who were in the pay of General Raitt and others like him. They do not want to see a steady source of income dry up."

"Do you have proof? Do you know the main parties involved?"

"We have some information…but not enough to get to the right people. It's not enough to change things. Feenus has not been allowed to see any of the documents prior to the talks. They are working blind. Plus, the ruling party doesn't see this as important. It's only a small part of what could be a very lucrative arrangement. Trading rights and economic contracts far outweigh a small inconsequential matter of allowing slavers to operate in the system."

"I'll see what I can do," Luke muttered. "This isn't fair."

"And…" Beridor added, "Feenus and Altra are so worried that the security force will use this as a chance to round up the rest of our organisation that they have banned the rest of us from coming anywhere near government centre."

"I can see their point."

"So can I. This means too much to me to have it jeopardised. I was born a slave. I never knew who my parents were or even if I was a wanted child. I got my name from another slave who looked after me for a while until she, too, was moved on. I don't want to see another being of any race suffer what I had to endure. Feenus and Altra need to be there."

"You are a good man, Beridor, and a brave one." Luke was impressed by the sincerity he could sense coming from the other being. "Altra and Feenus may not be able to do what they want right now but if you can find your proof you could give it to me. The ruling party would like to join the New Republic - there are many advantages. However, the New Republic will not countenance slavery. It is an impossible task to ever complete but a worthwhile one to attempt."

"That is how I see it, Master Skywalker."

"Good, we are in agreement. Go and get me all the information you have and I will see what I can do. But first…" Luke stretched out with the Force and tried to peel away the layers of the other man's past. "I cannot sense much but, yes, I think you were a wanted child. There was pain at the point of separation. You cannot have been much more than an infant. You were loved but had very little time with your family. I hope you don't mind me doing this?"

"No…oh, no." Beridor gasped his thanks as a sense of peace filled him - peace and renewed determination for his cause.

**Government House, Elrood**

The blond woman brushed a piece of fluff from her immaculate uniform, inspecting her image in the reflector. "This could mean everything to us," she whispered softly.

"Talking to yourself?" her husband's voice queried.

"I always do when I'm nervous. It gives me courage."

"Altra…" Feenus Adremetis came towards her and placed his arms around her. If there was one thing that his wife had, it was courage. She'd given up so much to join him out here on the Rim and, what was more important; he knew that she'd never regretted it. He gave a heavy sigh. "I'm not so sure. The ruling party have never been prepared to meet with us before. I half expected a security detail to have us arrested as soon as we got anywhere near Government House. So far we're still free but…"

"But the New Republic…"

"Are still a long way from here. We don't know if this really is a meeting and not another attempt to fob us off with meaningless platitudes."

"It's been all over the holonet. A delegation arrived from Coruscant last week. I saw the leader being greeted by Belfro. Surely it cannot be a hoax." Altra placed her hat on top of her shining hair. "I know that Elscol and Sixtus have been in regular contact with their friends on Coruscant."

"Their _friends_!" Feenus scoffed. "It still isn't official."

"Beridor said that the Jedi are to be present."

"The _Jedi!_" Feenus gave a disbelieving bark of laughter. "Luke Skywalker is going to roll up in his ship and walk right into Government House? Beridor reads far too many of those gossip nets!"

"He says that he can often pick up snippets from the articles. There is often a hint of truth in some of them," Altra defended their absent friend.

"Altra, didn't you listen to what Han and Luke said when they were on Elrood? There are hardly any Jedi left. That's why he was so eager to try and rescue that woman - she's a Jedi. They are looking after themselves."

"No," Altra disagreed. "Luke came for Mara because she was his friend and, yes, he's in love with her but he wouldn't put that ahead of the Jedi unfortunately. The more Jedi there are in the galaxy, the more that peace and justice stand a chance. They want to help."

"Wonderful." Feenus' tone was flat and hard.

"It's true." She stared at her husband, her eyes bright. "You are the same as he is. Stop trying to hide under that hard front. It doesn't fool me in the least. Luke Skywalker came to Elrood to find his lady but still managed to help others."

"Yes, Tayo and his grandmother are still together because of him. I'll grant Luke that much."

"He helped us," she said and watched as her husband couldn't quite meet her gaze. "You and Han had time to talk…I thought…"

"We didn't instantly turn into friends, Altra."

"But you parted well."

"We were civil. Mutual respect and all that. Look, Altra…" He gave a weary sigh. "I just can't, that's all."

"Feenus," she pleaded. "Han would have helped us as much as he could. Think what it would have done for our cause to have Han Solo's support. Why didn't _you_ contact him about all this?"

"I'm still angry with him; I still think he abandoned what was right. He worked against the law."

"Like we did?"

Feenus folded his arms across his chest, his manner implacable. "We didn't, not really."

"And you don't think a man can change for the better? He had no choice, Feenus. Han's conscience got the better of him. His eyes were opened…" Altra closed her eyes and sank down onto a seat in front of the reflecting glass. "You changed too… Went away from what you'd been taught to believe in."

"I know and that's maybe why I can't completely forgive him. There is understanding, Altra, but no, not total forgiveness. I did not turn to a life of crime."

"Didn't you."

"No." He turned away from her shrewd gaze. He couldn't argue for long with his wife when she thought she was right.

"You took matters into your own hands. You did things that would get you arrested on several worlds. Slaving is not illegal in this sector."

"It will be."

"You are so black and white, Feenus. Do you ever see the grey?" Altra had seen the grey for so long that she wondered if the white existed. It was only through being with Feenus that she had a chance to glimpse life in glorious colour. "Han only did what he had to do to survive. Does Han know exactly how you feel?"

"We talked about it."

"He and Luke sent Elscol and Sixtus to help us. We couldn't have got so far without them. He didn't have to do that."

"Yes, he _did_ do that." His voice was grudging. "But I'm still suspicious. It's all too good to be true. I won't believe it until I see real proof."

Altra moved towards him and put her hand on his arm. "I wondered about Elscol and Sixtus…are they coming to this meeting?"

Feenus shook his head. "No, they decided it was better that their exact part in our more recent successes was kept quiet."

"I can see that. It could cause problems for the New Republic and Han."

"Han Solo is _not_ the New Republic," Feenus snapped.

"No, but the New Republic exists because of men like Han Solo and Luke Skywalker."

The door slid open and a man dressed in black walked in. "Thought you might be here," he said with a warm smile."

"Master Skywalker!" Altra's mouth dropped open with surprise once his identity had registered. "We were just talking about you," she said, her cheeks flushing. "There was no word that you were to be here. Another Jedi's name was mentioned – one I didn't know. You knew we were being invited to take part in the discussions?"

"Luke…remember?" He laughed. "I had an inkling that you might."

"Master Sky…"

"I don't think so," he interrupted. "Shall we start again? The name's Luke."

"_Luke!_" she exclaimed, a mischievous smile lighting up her face. "Yes, let us start again. I never expected to see you here. When did you arrive?"

"Yesterday," he said. "I met Beridor earlier this morning and I've just returned from seeing Tayo and his grandmother. They are both doing well now that the threat on their lives has been lessened. Feenus…" Luke held out his hand and clasped the other man's hand warmly. "It's good to see you both again."

"Likewise," Feenus said, his stern manner thawing a little at the sight of the Jedi Master. As his wife knew well, his conduct hid the true man. He had genuinely doubted his chance of being a part of these talks. But seeing Luke restored a little faith. Maybe they did have a chance to make a difference this time.

"So…" Altra drawled wickedly, "Luke Skywalker did roll up in his ship. I think we have all the _proof_ we require."

"I'm sorry?" Luke's face showed his confusion. "I don't think I understand."

"I'm having a little fun at my husband's expense. I can't believe you're actually here to take part in these discussions."

"Oh, I see." Luke's blue eyes began to twinkle merrily. "And he allows you to do that often – make fun of him? However, I must disabuse you of the notion that I am here to take part in the talks."

Altra's face fell. "You're not?"

Luke shook his head. "No, but as you said, there are other Jedi who should be arriving very shortly. I am here to observe them."

"I see," Feenus said slowly.

"No, I don't think you do, my friend," Luke said with a grin. "They think I am back on Yavin IV helping Master Solusar to train the rest of the students."

"They are to take part?" Altra questioned.

"They are here to monitor and facilitate the discussions. We cannot be political although it is nigh impossible not to be sometimes. The Jedi were the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy once. We're trying to be that again. I don't think slavery is a just practice."

"But why can't you be involved too? You know what was, and still is, happening out here."

Luke shook his head again. "The representative from the New Republic has read a report I wrote about the situation in this sector last year so my input is there. But I cannot be everywhere nor do everything and I need others to carry on the work of the Jedi. This seemed like a good opportunity to give some of the Jedi more experience. My report was most thorough and your contribution to the rescue of my…colleague was noted. It was the New Republic representative who suggested that your expertise be called upon and I agreed."

"How is your lady?" Altra asked.

"My lady?" Luke appeared momentarily disconcerted, his face flushing. "Oh! You mean Mara? She is not my lady."

"How many other 'ladies' do you have, Master Skywalker?" she asked archly. "I think she is," pressed Altra bravely. "You don't fool me, Master Skywalker. Not one little bit."

"Altra!" Feenus hissed.

"It's all right," Luke assured him as he recovered his equilibrium. "Mara is my friend and my student…"

"Of course, Luke," Altra said ironically, with a quick glance at her husband. "She is well?"

Luke smiled wryly. "Yes, she is. Mara was lucky and made a full recovery although it took time and there were some anxious moments when we wondered if she would make it. I am sure you remember how ill she was. You will see how she is for yourself when she arrives. She is one of the Jedi I am currently observing."

"So that's what it's called these days," Feenus whispered to his wife.

The door slid open and a tall man in an elaborate brown robe glided towards them. "The select council of the ruling party permit you to enter the chamber. No weapons or recording devices are allowed inside the chamber."

Feenus looked disgusted at the pompous tone displayed. "We were searched most thoroughly when we entered the building three hours ago. We have no weapons. How terribly kind of them to finally allow us access," he snapped.

"Feen!" Altra said, a warning note in her voice as she motioned her husband forward. He was so close to making his dream a reality that he was forgetting how to play the game. She inclined her head gracefully in the direction of the aide. "Thank you."

"I will see you later," Luke murmured as he sat down to wait. A supercilious smile gracing his face, the aide ignored the Jedi as if he wasn't there. "We could go for a drink after this session is finished. I want to know how you are doing but I need to keep out of sight of the others for a little longer."

"What about your Jedi?"

"I'm expecting them in time for tomorrow's session." He looked at Feenus. "Or the day after. They will arrive when they arrive." Luke crossed one black booted leg over the other. "And Feenus…"

The other man turned his head.

"Han says 'hello'." Luke winked at Altra who smothered her sudden smile.

Feenus bit off a curse under his breath. "You Jedi know too much and are far too interfering."

"Maybe - but isn't it worth losing a little pride to reclaim a lost friendship?"

**Elrood Spaceport – 2 days later**

"We're late," Ix Io pronounced with a glare at the date counter. "Two days late."

Mara scowled as she set the Jedi Academy shuttle on the ground in a textbook landing. "Don't remind me. That sneaky pair of Jedi Masters had managed to create more damage than I thought."

"Are you sure it was both of them?" asked Kirana Ti.

"No, but I suspect Skywalker the most."

Kirana Ti raised her eyebrows.

Mara's scowl deepened. "_Master_ Skywalker," she muttered. "I still say he's an overgrown womp-rat."

"Maybe," Kirana Ti said with an amused smile. "But he's still the head of our order and as such, must be a womp-rat that is treated with respect."

Mara glared and grabbed her green cloak from her locker. As soon as she touched it she remembered the look in the man's eyes as he had stared at her. He'd thought that she'd looked 'perfect'. "I'll give him 'respect'," she grumbled irritably, her voice softening despite herself as she placed the soft fabric about her shoulders.

"If it hadn't been for the two of you," Kirana Ti admitted quietly, "…we'd have been more than two days late."

"I have contacted Government headquarters to indicate our imminent arrival," Ix Io declared pulling off his headset. "They are sending a speeder to the ship to collect us."

Kirana Ti took a deep breath. "Good," she said, letting all her nerves and tensions float away as best she could. She was an experienced Jedi and had a responsibility to the ideal of peace and justice in the galaxy. She had been charged with this task and she would 'do'. "At least we are only there to observe and facilitate the discussions. The talks are between the New Republic and Elrood. Although I must admit, part of me suspects the ruling government of Elrood has been quite happy to ignore such a barbaric practice as slavery."

"It is not a life or death matter to them." Ix Io opened his locker and pulled out a dark brown Jedi cloak.

"I disagree," Mara said sharply. "If you are a being taken from your home, family and friends and sold into slavery then it could be a matter of life and death."

"_Mara!" _Kirana Ti frowned at Mara's harsh tone.

"I'm sorry, Mara," Ix Io apologised, his long face contrite. He could sense that she was taking this very personally and that confused him. Did she think that her servitude to Emperor Palpatine had been a form of slavery? She could very well be right. He knew she'd had no choice in the matter.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry…but the reason I'm on edge…" She stared out of the viewport and sighed deeply. This would help her. She could look on it as free therapy and her grim mood lightened a little. Luke was always trying to get her to open up a little. "Remember I said that I went on a job for my boss and that I was attacked and almost killed?"

"That first day in self-defence class. You floored Pod Nor in minutes." Ix Io could still see the stunned look on the other human's face.

"Yes and do you remember what else I said?"

"That you'd been attacked and you'd fought one hundred times harder than you had against Pod Nor." Ix Io cast his mind back trying to remember exactly what she had said.

"I was lucky to survive."

"It was here?" Kirana Ti breathed softly.

"No, but very close - Aaris III, in fact. It's the next system along and I was eventually brought to Elrood. The slaving syndicate's headquarters were located here. The place they had was using Death Star type of technology – or so I was told. I can't remember very much." Mara pulled her cloak tight around her body, hugging her arms about her waist. "Just that it was cold, bright and soulless. I _was_ lucky to survive. If it hadn't been for…"

"That's one of the reasons Luke chose you for this mission," the Dathomerian witch said comprehending why Mara was so edgy. "He's testing your ability to cope psychologically with the return to a place where you considered yourself to have failed." Her admiration for the Jedi Master grew. It wasn't because Mara was foreseeing trouble through the Force. It was the natural apprehension of returning to the place where she'd almost died.

"I do fail occasionally," Mara quipped, albeit a little shakily. "If I didn't, Master Skywalker would not be alive. He was one of my failures."

"I remember him telling me that once," Kirana Ti grinned. "Just as well."

"We have to learn from our failures and use them to boost our strength," Ix Io said. "I thought that I had failed my people and my religion when I couldn't stay with them. The Nazzar do not leave their world unless it is to spread the word of our religion. But I was leaving for another reason totally and it could not be approved by my people. The call of the Jedi was too strong. They were my own kind and I gladly endure banishment for them."

"The witches on Dathomir were given freedom by the Jedi. I wanted to learn more of their ways and ultimately to help my people…actually, my daughter most of all," Kirana Ti said. "We all have our reasons."

"Knight Ti, the speeder has arrived," Mara whispered, unusually formal. She'd caught on to the tension Kirana Ti had been feeling and mixed with her own worries about being back on Elrood she was understandably anxious.

The spaceport was still a sea of dull grey duracrete, the air permeated with the smells of engine fumes and droid lubricant. Mara shivered despite the warmth in the air. Something was teasing her senses – she could feel a familiar presence just out of reach and then it was gone as if she were imagining things.

Time to concentrate on the matter in hand, she told herself. Kirana Ti and Ix Io, sitting in front of her, were both lost in their own thoughts, their faces serious. She wanted to make Luke proud of her.

And then she could almost hear his voice – hear his words back on Yavin.

_'I've always been proud of anything you have achieved. You don't have to prove anything to me.'_

**Government House, Elrood**

"Prime Minister Belfro." Kirana Ti mustered her serenity from somewhere and walked forward. She bowed to the assembled dignitaries ready and waiting to meet her. "I must apologise for our late arrival. We had problems with our ship's hyperdrive."

"These things happen," the prime minister said with forced geniality. "Our opening discussions have already produced much for us to consider."

Kirana Ti smiled politely. "May I present the Jedi delegation from Yavin IV?"

"You may."

Kirana Ti motioned Mara and Ix Io forward. She had the feeling that the government was not truly serious about this endeavour. The information she'd been sent by the New Republic delegation had indicated there was still corruption in high places out on the Rim. Slavery was a profitable business for those in control. There was just something about the prime minister that made her think. She would meditate on it later. "Jedi Jade and Jedi Ix Io," she said.

Ix Io and Mara, dressed in their all-enveloping cloaks, their heads covered, bowed but said nothing. Kirana Ti was the leader of the delegation and they had already picked up on her sense of disquiet.

"Jedi…" The prime minister acknowledged them but there was suspicion of them evident on his lined and worn face. He had heard all the tales. Could they really read minds? What wizardry could they perform? "You may possibly know the leader of the New Republic delegation?" He held out his hand and a tall slender woman with Hoth-white hair glided forward. "Lady Winter Celchu of Alderaan."

Mara blinked. "Winter!" she muttered and then shut her mouth as Kirana Ti directed a glare in her direction. So the New Republic were serious about this after all. Leia had sent Winter to bargain for them and she was one of their best.

"Knight Ti," Winter glided forward, a cool smile on her beautiful face. "Jedi Jade and Jedi Ix Io," she said smoothly. "It is good to see you here at last."

"Shall we begin?" asked the prime minister indicating the seating arrangements and several members of the committee already seated and waiting.

Winter fixed her gaze on Prime Minister Belfro. "Are we not waiting for the anti-slaving group to arrive?"

"They decided not to join us today," he said smoothly. "After the problems of yesterday…"

"Problems?" Winter queried regally. "I thought we had what might be termed a healthy difference of opinion?"

Mara glanced at Ix Io, her green eyes narrowing. The man was lying and they both knew it. His falsehood sang through the Force towards her.

Kirana Ti consulted a data pad in front of her. "This part of the proceedings should not take place without the presence of Captain Adremetis."

"If he is not here, we must carry on without him."

The Nazzar cocked his head to one side and gave the politician a shrewd stare. "You had…_problems_ yesterday?"

Befro shifted on the balls of his feet. "These people are no better than criminals…terrorists. They are unreasonable in their demands. Slavery is not a problem in this sector."

"No?" asked Kirana Ti pointedly. "I understood that there were issues to discuss on that very topic."

Suddenly there was a commotion in the ante-chamber. The Jedi moved forward, all senses on alert. Mara looked back and caught Winter's sharp gaze. Winter nodded and Mara knew that the other woman was telling her without words that these talks were perhaps not going as well as everyone would have liked.

"You have no right to bar us!" a man was saying heatedly. "We were contacted by the New Republic and the head of the Jedi Order himself. We have the right…"

"A group of vigilantes without any real authority," another member of the committee argued contemptuously. "How did you manage to get past security?"

"We protect those who cannot rely on this corrupt government to protect them."

"We do not condone slavery…" the official blustered.

"So you say. But we know differently."

"Someone call security," another strident voice insisted.

"Mara!" Ix Io hissed. "We cannot let these people leave. I don't think justice can be served without them."

"I agree. Come on."

Mara and Ix Io, followed by Kirana Ti, brushed past the security men trying to stop the irate man and his companion from entering the debating chamber.

"We demand entry," Feenus Adremetis insisted.

"Prime Minister Belfro decides who enters," the security guard said curtly.

The Jedi found themselves in a plainly furnished waiting room. Several large men garbed in the uniform of the Elrooden security militia loomed implacably as two humans harangued one of the political aides.

"Yet you do nothing to stop slavery." A woman dressed in a plain utilitarian uniform walked forward her fingers pointing at an official's chest. More security guards moved closer.

"The largest smuggling cartel in this sector was smashed only a few months ago," he said with a sneer.

"Yes, by us," she affirmed doggedly. "The New Republic have all the details as does your head of security."

"That is ridiculous. How could a band of rag-tag mercenaries do something the Elrooden security Force could not?"

"Because we wanted to?" the woman said resolutely. "What's wrong with our dedication to a cause so repulsive that it can separate husband from wife or a mother from her child?"

"We are a well-organised, well-disciplined unit unlike the security forces in this place," the man argued.

Mara heard the woman's voice properly for the first time and froze. There was something in the soft, yet determined alto that touched a chord of recognition. She stepped forward to get a better look at the newcomers. The woman was slim and pretty with short, streaked fair hair under a uniform cap and grey-green eyes, her age difficult to determine. She had seen this female before, she thought. There was definitely something familiar about her. The man's square jaw was clenched, fire in his grey eyes. Mara sank down upon a soft, upholstered chair gripping her hands together. What would Luke do in such a situation? How would the Force guide her? Who were they and how did she recognise them?

"Altra…" The man placed his hand on the woman's shoulders. "It is no use. These talks are a waste of time. We must go back to doing what we can on our own."

Mara surprised herself when she stood up and said in a clear voice, "Let them speak. They have every right to be here."

Feenus heard the voice and twisted around to see a woman dressed in a Jedi cloak. In fact, there were three Jedi. He hadn't seen them enter.

Kirana Ti nodded at Ix Io. "Go ahead."

Ix Io's resonant baritone made itself heard. "The government has grown fat and wealthy on the pain of others. Does the New Republic want to align with such a world? There are other systems clamouring to join the New Republic."

"Think about it," Kirana Ti said.

Mara glanced at Ix Io and Kirana Ti, both of whom gave her a nod of approval and stepped forward to stand beside her in support. Pushing back her hood, she approached the couple and gave a malicious smile as the officials backed away. So they knew what a Jedi was capable of. "The New Republic does not deal with a world that promotes slavery. The Jedi will offer no aid to such a place."

The woman gasped as Mara's red-gold braided hair was revealed. "Mara?" she said. "_Luke's_ Mara? He said you would be here but…"

"I know you. How do I know you?" Mara queried, her green eyes narrowing. A hazy memory crossed her mind of sympathetic grey-green eyes and a soft, concerned voice. "You seem so familiar but…'_Luke's Mara!' _You know Luke?"

Feenus looked at the woman with surprise. The last time he'd seen her must have been over a year ago and she'd been clinging to her life by the tiniest, flimsiest of threads. This woman was glowing with health and purpose. She'd been beautiful then but nothing compared to the woman he was now facing. No wonder the Jedi Master was so smitten. "Jedi Mara Jade," he said. "We helped in your rescue, Jedi Jade. I'm surprised you can remember anything at all."

"You…then…you must be…"

"Feenus Adremetis," he finished for her, "…and this is my wife, Altra."

"Luke…Master Skywalker talked about you, Captain Adremetis," Mara admitted, almost unable to take it all in. "He has a great respect for your actions."

"What is this? How do _you_ know these people?" the prime minister demanded as he pushed his way into the conversation.

"They saved my life." Mara gave him a brief look of disdain. "Just over a year ago, I came on a routine mission to Elrood and other planets in the Kathol Outback. I worked for the trader, Talon Karrde, as one of his associates at the time. I was attacked returning to my ship and kidnapped by a slaver - a Ho'Din by the name of Tharakan." Her smile turned malevolent and she directed her remark to the prime minister and the rest of his delegation. "In fact, he was one of the most important slavers in the syndicate that was so recently destroyed."

"This can't be true," Belfro declared arrogantly.

"If it wasn't for these people and their group. I would have died."

"A Jedi!" the prime minister exclaimed, his face a picture of horror. "A Jedi was taken?"

"I did not have a label that marked me as a Jedi. I wasn't training at that point in time. I was returning to my ship after completing my business and I was set upon by thugs and taken to be sold as a slave. I was lucky to be rescued. Beaten and drugged, I was not capable of escaping. Captain Adremetis was instrumental along with Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and General Han Solo in infiltrating the smuggling operation. This was no two-credit set-up. This facility was a state of the art operation with a former Imperial General at the helm. This place could only have been operating with the current ruling party's knowledge."

Ix Io scowled. "What kind of place is this that a woman cannot go about her lawful business?"

"This is the Outer Rim," Belfro stuttered awkwardly amongst a crescendo of outraged vocal reactions. "Not a Coruscant garden party."

Kirana Ti glanced at Mara from the corner of her eye. '_Was it lawful?'_

_'Actually, it was,'_ she sent back. '_For once.'_

The Nazzar was not impressed. "There are still no excuses for these things to be happening. Perhaps if you had Captain Adremetis as a liaison with the security forces things might be better organised." His rich voice cut across the volume with ease.

Kirana Ti placed a hand on Mara's arm in wordless comfort. Her opinion of the red head was improving all the time. Master Skywalker had deliberately sent Mara here to test her and he'd been right to do so. He had known that Mara would not let him down. "This is a legitimate group. I was told that they were to be present during this phase of the talks. I would advise the New Republic delegate not to continue unless these people are fully a part of the proceedings."

Voices raised in a babble of argument as Feenus found his voice again.

Lady Winter Celchu stepped into the room. "Has the session moved into the ante-chamber?" she queried. "I was getting tired of sitting by myself staring at my notes."

Most of the assembled company probably didn't realise that the regal woman with her white hair arranged in a graceful chignon, was one of the most intelligent women currently working for the New Republic Council. She had a photographic memory and every thing that was being said or done would be recalled perfectly at a later date. Her code name during the civil war had been 'targeter'. Winter was no mere politician.

Mara's smile was a little strained. She felt unaccountably shaken at the sight of Feenus Adremetis and his wife. They had seen her at her lowest ebb, when she'd been at her most vulnerable. Mara didn't like that feeling – never had.

Luke had liked her – Altra, he'd called her. She was older than Mara – perhaps about Han Solo's age, with grey-green eyes and short, streaked silver-blonde hair. Mara stretched out with the Force and found that the aura surrounding Altra Adremetis was warm and true. She wasn't Force strong but, like so many of Mara's acquaintances, her presence sang in the living Force itself.

Kirana Ti noticed that Mara had gone very pale, a muscle working in her cheek, but if you didn't know her well you wouldn't guess that she was uneasy. It was time for her to guide the talks back to where they should have been and give Mara time to recover. Giving Mara and Ix Io a tiny hand signal, they moved to join Lady Winter. "Captain and Mistress Adremetis?"

Feenus turned a suspicious gaze on the Dathomirian Jedi. "Yes?" He hadn't a clue who this woman was and was she actually wearing some kind out outfit made from cured animal skins below her Jedi cloak?

"It's a type of leather." Kirana Ti said. "Very supple – from my home world."

"Oh. Did you just read my mind…?" he accused.

"No, you were staring at my Jedi uniform in disbelief. I _guessed_. It is not ethical to read minds without their owners' permission." She raised her voice, using a little Force nudge to get them to listen. "I suggest we return to the debating chamber and get on with our discussions."

"Not with these…_people_ present," the prime minister insisted.

"Yes," Kirana Ti said firmly. "With _all_ parties present. We are not discussing planetary security or food production. This is specifically about the issue of the slaving guilds. Captain Adremetis and his wife are experts in this field. It would be wrong of us not to take advantage of their knowledge."

"The New Republic will insist on this being discussed and some agreement being reached. You would not like to go back to your colleagues and tell them that these negotiations were a failure?" Lady Winter arched a white eyebrow.

The prime minister had to admit that he didn't want to have to do that but he sent a silent signal to one of the security guards. Kirana Ti took notice. She would deal with this after this session had finished.

Several hours later, the delegates emerged into the watery sunlight of early evening. Elrood's typical climate of sultry heat combined with a light drizzle made them all long to go back inside again.

The Jedi hadn't said much during the presentations and subsequent question and answer sessions. They had watched and listened. But things had been, for the most part, civil.

Lady Winter smiled tiredly as she waited for her driver to take her back to the hotel most of the New Republic personnel were staying in. "Thank you," she said.

Kirana Ti frowned. "For what?"

"You managed to keep them talking."

"What else could we do?"

"You did exactly what was required. Luke thinks that Captain Adremetis and his group could be promoted to a sort of independent security group. You will know what I mean, Mara."

"Yes. After Grand Admiral Thrawn died, I liaised between the New Republic and Karrde and his smugglers. Something similar could work in this case. They…the planetary security division and the Adremetis group…would answer both to Elrood and to the New Republic but the new group formed would be independent of both."

"I can see that working," Ix Io murmured thoughtfully. "I sense that our politicians are all in favour of what the New Republic could bring them economically but are not so keen to fulfil all that they should."

"You too, huh?" Mara mumbled. "I don't trust politicians one little bit…excuse me, Winter."

"Politicians? I see myself more as a diplomat," Winter's lips curved into a smile. "Although there were times today I felt less than diplomatic. Ah," she breathed a sigh of relief. "There's my driver now. Perhaps you should make sure that Captain Adremetis and his wife make it to tomorrow's session unharmed. I do not think that this is finished."

"I will do that," Mara said after a quick glance at Kirana Ti, who nodded.

"My thoughts exactly. I intercepted a signal between the prime minister and his head of security."

Mara fiddled with the fastening of her cloak. "I need to speak to Captain Adremetis and his wife in any case."

They bade Winter farewell and waited silently for their own transport. The Jedi had originally decided to remain on their ship but the Ruling party wouldn't hear of it. They were to be housed in one of the city centre hotels not far from Government House. "I suggest we return to the ship," Ix Io muttered. "They think they can control us."

"You do that, Ix Io," Kirana Ti decided. "I'm going to speak to Lady Winter privately. Keep your comlinks open at all times. I think it is better to be prepared."

"Jedi Jade?"

Mara swung around when she heard her name being called. "Mistress Adremetis."

Altra approached the Jedi woman carefully. She wasn't sure how much she remembered of her time as a captive. Luke had hoped that she wouldn't remember any of it but had held that as a forlorn one. Mara was dressed in a tunic and pants similar to the style Luke wore. Her red-gold hair was braided and coiled at the nape of her neck, functional yet decorative, a dark green cloak about her shoulders. She made a striking picture. "I just wanted to meet you properly. Do you remember?"

"Very little," Mara replied. "Most of it is hazy. Luke tried to keep it from me but I kept discovering little things here and there and I made him tell me what happened. I'm not even sure if I _have_ heard it all."

"Or if you want to."

"That too."

"Would you like to have dinner with us this evening, Jedi Jade? We would return you to your hotel at a reasonable hour."

Mara looked at Kirana Ti, pretending to ask for guidance. It _was_ better that one of them travelled with the couple. Winter's opinion was not one to discount.

Kirana Ti dipped her head. "Yes, go. Ix Io and I will read over some of the papers from the days we missed. Perhaps you can speak to Captain Adremetis about a possible solution."

"Sure," Mara said.

"Here's Feenus with our speeder now," Altra remarked into the silence that had fallen between the two women.

Mara couldn't think of what to say as she climbed in behind a grim and taciturn Feenus. If only Skywalker were here then everything would be much better. It was odd how she could almost feel his presence with her.


End file.
